new to the MMO scene, need a bit of help...

[GiiRz]

Well first and foremost, hi there I'm GiiRz. Named after Gir from Invader ZIM! so yeah don't ask what it means haha.
Uhm well yeah I've never played any MMO's of any kind, so I've been trying to read the threads and get lost in some of the 'lingo' or abbreviations used. I was recommended this site by one of my friends who played FF11 online, and he told me this would be a great place to research what I would most likely set up as my character for FF14.
I've pretty much come to the conclusion I want to set up a Lalafell Lancer, but that's it. IDK anything else besides what I've seen on YouTube, and the small tidbits I've read here. I plan to get the game when it comes out for PS3, but I want to have like a set plan that I'm going to follow off the back. Since I know pretty much nothing about the MMO world and pretty much this forum is amazing and dedicated to this topic, was hoping you guys could help me out? PLZ help a MMO n00b :]

[tonyg]

This won't end well.

[Cooleko]

Create Character
Select server/city
Run outside and complete first guildleve, return to NPC to get your second starting ability
Collect lvl 1 leves from NPC behind counter
Do leves and continue to lvl.
At level 10/15/20/25 there will be mission story lines to do for progressing through the game stories.
Meet people and join linkshells till you find the right group of people that you enjoy playing with
continue improving your character, perhaps picking up a gathering or crafting class to pass time
pay SE money for the next 8 years

There really is not a guide as your goal is to have fun and you determine how that is possible. At this point in time, most people have decided that the most fun is not turning the game on.

[Yoli]

I don't understand what type of help you're looking for, exactly. Are you confused about some particular abbreviations and want us to tell you what they mean? That's fine, but you'll have to bring them up first... Or are you looking for general advice on lancer? General advice there might be subject to change between now and ps3 release, as a bunch of stuff could change (you may be aware of the awful launch this game had, which is why the ps3 release is pushed back, and why so many - good - changes are finally taking place). I can appreciate you being excited, but it might be early to get particularly set on doing things in any fixed manner.

pay SE money for the next 8 years

lol

[GiiRz]

I don't understand what type of help you're looking for, exactly. Are you confused about some particular abbreviations and want us to tell you what they mean? That's fine, but you'll have to bring them up first... Or are you looking for general advice on lancer? General advice there might be subject to change between now and ps3 release, as a bunch of stuff could change (you may be aware of the awful launch this game had, which is why the ps3 release is pushed back, and why so many - good - changes are finally taking place). I can appreciate you being excited, but it might be early to get particularly set on doing things in any fixed manner.


lol

haha
IDK the exact abbreviations, I'd have to look through the forums again.
But yeah what I mean is since I'm new to all this I want to know like how to properly set up a character (while I might be set on being a dunesfolk Lalafell Lancer, you guys might advise against it and say well if you want to be a dunesfolk Lalafell maybe be a Conjurer or Archer or might suggest I'm plainsfolk Lalafell instead). IDK much about xp grinding, or what to look for. IDK anything about what to look for to make new weapons and armor or what the best weapon and armor setups would be and such.
Like I said I'm an MMO n00b, I know nothing about this world. I'm a CoD beast and now FPS, but like I said one of my friends played FF11 and was good at it, and is getting me into this stuff and it looks very interesting. However in FPS, class setups are easy and you go with what works, MMO is different and you need to setup your character for what you want. Like I've read about buff/debuff (IDK what that is) and people setting up like that. Since IDK what that is, and IDK what I truly want out of the game (I know I want to be balanced in attack and magic, but since I'm a button smasher I know I'll be attacking more than magic), I'm hoping to get some help on how to setup a good even character that when people see my character and how its set up they go, 'Woow, that guy is boss!'.

[sruon]

There is no real racial bonus/malus and stats can be reassigned on the go... just go with whatever you think look best and don't play with too many expectations.

It's F2P right now, just discover the game and don't force yourself to login because that's utterly pointless. It's probably not the best MMO for a first time player either.

[GiiRz]

Ehh I don't mind if its not the best to be the first, but I've played the series and I like it so yeah I don't mind.

[Yoli]

The game's reasonably disconnected from the series, beyond some standard links. If you have played the series, the system they've set up is pretty close to what was in final fantasy five. You're sort of stuck with generic template characters, and you have a lot of wiggle room to make give them the abilities you want by leveling up other classes first. So you can have a reasonably decent cure on your lancer if you xp your conjurer up, or you can have your conjurer use your lancers feint move when they miss. Etc. No one really knows how customizable it will really be in the end, because the end isn't really here yet.

The races have very tiny stat discrepancies at the start. Tiny enough you're best off ignoring them. Pick what you'll be happy getting stuck with for who knows how long. Also, there are traits that let you (for example) subtract points from mind and put them into strength. So I guess if your base class had five more mind to start than another, you could just use that to balance it out immediately whereas the other race couldn't (since you couldn't go to 0). .... don't even think about that example - the races are effectively irrelevant here.

Jobs are largely irrelevant too. If you want to be a lancer, you're going to end up xping a lot of other jobs as well to get all the abilities you'll need. And along the way you might find out you like another of the jobs more. You can swap back and forth between them at will on the same character, so it's not an issue. You do have to allocate your stats, but you can undo those as well if you want to go from a job that would need str to one that would need more mind (or vice versa).

Buffing was when you cast enhancing spells on yourself/your party. Spell like protect are buffs, and increase the defense of everyone. There's also things for magic defense, etc. Debuffs are when you make the enemy weak. When you cast slow or paralyze etc, and decrease their effectiveness in some way.

[GiiRz]

Yoli you are a huge help.
My friend that played FF11, hanyou and then hanyo(if anyone ever knew him on FF:XI), keeps telling me that when the time gets closer he'll start looking into things cause it'll be more set then of what is what and such. I agree with him, but like I've told him, since I'm new to MMO I kind of want like a bit more knowledge of what I'm getting into and what I'm going to be doing before I dive into it with my other friends. Like I said, I'm a FPS beast, this is the first real MMO I'm getting into and the differences are huge from a shooter game to a character creation game. At least in the regular FF or in Kingdom Hearts, there was a preset of what you were going to get from the get go, right now for me, I know there is no real preset yet but every little bit helps on whether the best type of race or best type of disciple or discipline. Like I know for a fact to level up at the start to be either a Disciple of War or of Magic just based on what I've read here.

[Katlan]

It's really hard to recommend the game to ppl now, but it may be a diff story w/e PS3 release happens. For all we know, PS3 retail may not happen until June/July, or may not happen until Fall of '11. XI was my first mmo and ppl said it wasn't noobie friendly... though I think I started at about the right time so it was easier for me. It was easy to relate to XI as being a FF game because it carried w/it all the FF staples and incorporated them into a mmo environment. But XIV is not a FF game outside of the name and a few staple's here and there (I know this statement of mine can be argued forever and ever, but I'm just stating my personal opinion).

My opinion, pick what race you like you best.. everything outside of that you can learn as you play as there is no road blocks and you can't screw up and be like "oh shit, I forgot to do that." If your playing gimp style.. your friends will help teach you the ropes of you can use general chat to help you in figuring stuff out. You will also learn by watching other ppl. If you pick the wrong starter class, it doesn't matter since its just a weapon switch away to another. Nothing you do in in the game, no matter how noobish, will affect you long/short term or prevent you from doing something later. But, if you pick a race because it has the best starter INT or thes best starter STR, and you don't like how they look, your gonna be kicking yourself later as those starter advantages will be insignificant as you lv up.

On the other hand, I recommend trying another mmo out to learn the ropes of what a mmo is about. Even if you don't want to pay anything, there are a handful of F2P mmo's (never tried em myself, but i hear some are good) to help teach you what a mmo is about and how to play one

[GiiRz]

It's really hard to recommend the game to ppl now, but it may be a diff story w/e PS3 release happens. For all we know, PS3 retail may not happen until June/July, or may not happen until Fall of '11. XI was my first mmo and ppl said it wasn't noobie friendly... though I think I started at about the right time so it was easier for me. It was easy to relate to XI as being a FF game because it carried w/it all the FF staples and incorporated them into a mmo environment. But XIV is not a FF game outside of the name and a few staple's here and there (I know this statement of mine can be argued forever and ever, but I'm just stating my personal opinion).

My opinion, pick what race you like you best.. everything outside of that you can learn as you play as there is no road blocks and you can't screw up and be like "oh shit, I forgot to do that." If your playing gimp style.. your friends will help teach you the ropes of you can use general chat to help you in figuring stuff out. You will also learn by watching other ppl. If you pick the wrong starter class, it doesn't matter since its just a weapon switch away to another. Nothing you do in in the game, no matter how noobish, will affect you long/short term or prevent you from doing something later. But, if you pick a race because it has the best starter INT or thes best starter STR, and you don't like how they look, your gonna be kicking yourself later as those starter advantages will be insignificant as you lv up.

On the other hand, I recommend trying another mmo out to learn the ropes of what a mmo is about. Even if you don't want to pay anything, there are a handful of F2P mmo's (never tried em myself, but i hear some are good) to help teach you what a mmo is about and how to play one

IDK, we'll see. I've played DragonAge a bit for PS3, but I don't put that in the level that FF14 will be at. I also played Diablo a bit growing up, but I don't consider Diablo an MMO cause anyone can pick up Diablo and do well.

[Grey Jorildyn]

If you need help with "lingo", check out this link: http://www.nickyee.com/daedalus/archives/001313.php

good stuff there and will help you decipher most in-game chat (for games that have public chat channels anyway, XIV does not. woe are we who play in silence).

[GiiRz]

Thanks man!
Some I knew, but some were completely new to me. Thanks!

[Grey Jorildyn]

Some not on the list too...

Add: used to refer to a mob that aggros you when you are already fighting a different mob.
Link (not to be confused with Add): occurs at time of engagement or during a "pull". Refers to when another mob comes along with the mob you were trying to pull, due to the first mob's aggro dragging the other mob along for the ride.
HoT: healing over time. Like a regen spell that gives bit of HP over a duration rather than in one big chunk. These are usually MP-saving spells/effects.
KB/knockback: refers to something that pushes your character away from the enemy.
KD/knockdown: refers to being knocked down or a move that knocks you down (similar to a stun kinda).
OTG: on the ground (used in fighting games too). Refers to any ability which can be used on a knocked down opponent.

I know there's at least one more that just slipped my mind.

[GiiRz]

Dude you've been a big help with the abbreviations/MMO lingo.
I know I've been reading on some of the FF:XI forums of like jobs, which I understand what a job is, I don't get some of the abbreviations like BLM or THF, I mean job abbreviations I'm sure will have changed from XI to XIV.

[Karinastar]

They're just abbreviated versions of the full names.
GLA = Gladiator
MRD = Marauder
PGL = Pugilist
ARC = Archer
LNC = Lancer
CON = Conjurer
THM = Thaumaturge
BSM = Blacksmith
ARM = Armorer
GLD = Goldsmith
TAN = Tanner
WVR = Weaver
ALC = Alchemist
CUL = Culanarian (Not 100% sure on this one tbh)
BTN = Botanist
MIN = Miner
FSH = Fisherman

I probably missed a couple.

[miokomioko]

Yeah, CUL is Culinarian. (and FSH is just Fisher :3 )

I think you may have missed CRP = Carpenter

Basically...

GLA = sword: shield-tank
MRD = greataxe: dd/parry-tank
PGL = hand-to-hand: dd/evasion-tank
ARC = bow: pure-dd
LNC = polearm: dd/support

CON = elemental/support mage (nature-based magic)
THM = enfeebling/support mage (taboo dark magic)

BSM = works with raw metals (tools/weapons/parts)
ARM = works with metals and armor (heavy armor/parts)
GLD = works with gems, bone, and precious metals (jewelry)
TAN = works with hides and leather (medium armor)
WVR = works with fibers and cloth (light armor)
CRP = works with wood (tools/weapons/parts)
ALC = works with chemicals and poisons (potions and materials)
CUL = cooks food (nom)

BTN = harvests wood, plants, fruits, vegetables, etc. (supplies CRP/WVR/CUL/ALC)
MIN = harvests stones, gems, metals, etc. (supplies BSM/ARM/GLD)
FSH = harvests fish, sealife, aquatic plants, insects, etc. (supplies CUL/ALC)


I might be mixed up with the mages' roles, I haven't really played much of those classes, personally.

[GiiRz]

Thanks guys :]
Your big help!!

[miokomioko]

Oh, and the up-and-coming classes are:

melee:
Musketeer (gun-wielding official law enforcers of Limsa Lominsa)
Fencer (I don't really know the details other than they probably have rapiers and come from Ishgard)

mage:
Arcanist (mechanical-staff carrying mages that run Limsa Lominsa's customs department)

gatherer:
Shepherd (Another Ishgardian guild who somehow harvest fur/antlers/etc. from animals)


(who knows when this will be other than obviously after Ishgard is added... which is after the game gets some serious work done)

[GiiRz]

I just hope this game is good for PS3!
I'm kinda excited for it and don't want to be let down. Its bad enough that Black Ops was a total failure, I'd hate for another game I've been looking forward to to be a failure.