Project: Power (Gearing up for SoA)

[Solaire]

Hello! I am a semi-new player that has been playing for a few months, at the urging of my friend Shuinam on Odin server. While I am definitely not a 'noob', nevertheless I am supremely unfamiliar with higher-level FFXI gameplay. Talk of fStats, gearsets, and Windower setups just about make my head spin. However, I am eager and able to learn quickly, and that is exactly what this thread is about.

Now that Seekers of Adoulin has a firm release date, a fire has been lit under my feet to get up to speed with the veterans so that I can fully enjoy the new(est) content when it gets released. I am interested in what would be considered 'essential' gear at this point, in particular those pieces with both the biggest impact on effectiveness and the widest applicability for job selection. I am also interested in what jobs are considered essential so that I can focus my time on leveling those.

My focus in this project is obviously on the macroscopic aspects at this point, but if you feel that I am neglecting important details, please feel free to point it out. I am a masochist when it comes to self-improvement, so be honest! I respectfully ask for any advice you can give me in this arena, and if you also feel compelled to help me out in-game too, so much the better! I appreciate anything that is offered.

[shepardG]

Hmmm, well I had some more types out but it was sorta rambling. This is really a huge question, and one I'm not qualified to answer.

[Yugl]

There's no way to prepare entire sets since you don't know the adjustments or battles. Currently, you should pick a class to farm, a class to DD, a class to support, a class to main heal, and a class to solo. Many combinations work for this; for instance, BST, SCH, BRD, and DRK will cover most of these. A more secure set might be BST, SCH, BRD, WAR, WHM. At this point, prepare gil. Use BST to prepare any relics you may need (Atm, Ragnarok, but keep currency for when the update hits in case any other classes become badass). Prepare plates/rifts for any Empyrean you need. Mythic preparation isn't realistic aside from the "Defeat X" and trophies for various NMs. Do that. Prepare Magian staves for when the Elemental Magic revisions appear. Aside from Legion, you don't need "full gear" for any class. If you're preparing for the update, simply pick up the pieces likely to contribute the most. Pick up "Enhances X ability" pieces with unique or substantial effects, to avoid as much older content as possible.

[urat]

Right now is probably a good time to start hoarding gil. When the expansion hits remember gear always starts at a mint but within a month or two is affordable. Be careful with your investments.

I would not recommend buying any expensive gear right now that doesnt have permanent bonuses, like Yugl said. Any type of "enhances x" or "augments x" or etc gear will be useful post update, but chances are your precious attack/str/acc/haste gear is going to become outclassed and the new aurore gear in 4 months. If you can afford 1-2 mil on a piece of gear go for it, otherwise I wouldn't go buying 20 mil 4% haste hands when they have a high chance of getting outclassed next expansion.

Most jobs are pretty useful, but some key jobs will always have demand for new stuff out the box.

Paladin: Before we figure out how the fuck the AI of new mobs works, having a big beefy paladin to tank new dangerous NMs makes runs a lot smoother. Remember when VW was still hard and paladins were really useful? Same thing happens everytime around.

White mage: Always relevant

Bard/smn: Like paladin, new NMs can sometimes do crazy shit and if we dont know how to deal with it, spells like scherzo and other mitigation effects are often good ways to smoothen out rough fights that we havent figured out how to zerg yet.

Thief: Unless it's some kind of weird drop system, some of that yummy TH is generally a good thing to have

Bst/dnc: Two of the stronger soloing jobs, having one of these well geared can often be useful for an expansion with any kind of solo oriented content.


Finally, you might wanna work on leveling up your sub jobs ahead of time for the new jobs if you intend on playing them. blm, whm, war, nin, and rdm are always the go tos for any class. If you dont have these subs leveled yet and you wanna play the new classes, you might wanna get to it

[TheDangerousDave]

Would suggest levelling THF as a first job for anyone, it's good to play a job you can solo on to get used to the game, then level White Mage really.... neither are hard to gear so when they're geared you can work on levelling a job you really want to play despite its usability in events.

[ikariiiii]

inb4 "but i dont like mage jobs" + "how come its so hard to get gear"

[Slycer]

There is a great breadth of information to learn that cannot possibly be communicated on a thread on a discussion board. Three recommendations:

1) Play the game. Level to 99, mess around with a few different jobs. Experience endgame as it currently stands.
2) Reference wikis for clarification of terms and other information whenever possible.
3) Come back to the forum and ask any unanswered questions with specificity where people can comfortably answer in a post reply.

Wash, rinse, and repeat. There's no way you're going to get everything you're looking for all in one (or multiple) posts.

While this guide is mostly intended for returning players, it can help for new players as well since it covers most of the aspects of recently added endgame and the best way to quickly get into the game.

https://www.bg-wiki.com/bg/Returning_to_Vana%27diel

[NynJa]

Would suggest levelling THF as a first job for anyone, it's good to play a job you can solo on to get used to the game, then level White Mage really.... neither are hard to gear so when they're geared you can work on levelling a job you really want to play despite its usability in events.

Its funny how everyone shits on the job every chance they get...yet according to the 2012 census, its the most completed relic weapon. I agree though, its one of those jobs everyone should have leveled, since for all intents, when its called upon, its pretty easy to gear for its purpose (TK, AA+2, RP+2)

[SephYuyX]

I'm not sure if i'm the only person who does this, but I go out of my way not to purchase any big ticket item when there is a new expansion on the way. Most likely there is always a replacment item, or a new way to attain said expensive item, bringing the price down to nothing.

Pefect example was with the three releases of Abyssea. People would buy stuff for millions, then the next expansion would come out replacing items from the first causing the price to plumit along with new stuff to buy for millions, which was then again trumped by the next expansion.

Yeah, basic MMO-ness, people will crave for the newest and greatest, and if they have an excess of money theyll get it regardless.

But damn, I had no need for Meteor at 40m, nor at 4m, so i'll just wait for 400k, but maybe thats just the 1%er in me.


GOTTA GET THAT EXTRA .1% DPS INCREASE FOR 2 MIL

[Odin'sLaw]

I'm not sure if i'm the only person who does this, but I go out of my way not to purchase any big ticket item when there is a new expansion on the way. Most likely there is always a replacment item, or a new way to attain said expensive item, bringing the price down to nothing.

Pefect example was with the three releases of Abyssea. People would buy stuff for millions, then the next expansion would come out replacing items from the first causing the price to plumit along with new stuff to buy for millions, which was then again trumped by the next expansion.

Yeah, basic MMO-ness, people will crave for the newest and greatest, and if they have an excess of money theyll get it regardless.

But damn, I had no need for Meteor at 40m, nor at 4m, so i'll just wait for 400k, but maybe thats just the 1%er in me.


GOTTA GET THAT EXTRA .1% DPS INCREASE FOR 2 MIL

oh Perle Haubys i will miss your 2mil price tag /evil laugh

[Sho]

I'm not sure if i'm the only person who does this, but I go out of my way not to purchase any big ticket item when there is a new expansion on the way. Most likely there is always a replacment item, or a new way to attain said expensive item, bringing the price down to nothing.

Pefect example was with the three releases of Abyssea. People would buy stuff for millions, then the next expansion would come out replacing items from the first causing the price to plumit along with new stuff to buy for millions, which was then again trumped by the next expansion.

Yeah, basic MMO-ness, people will crave for the newest and greatest, and if they have an excess of money theyll get it regardless.

But damn, I had no need for Meteor at 40m, nor at 4m, so i'll just wait for 400k, but maybe thats just the 1%er in me.


GOTTA GET THAT EXTRA .1% DPS INCREASE FOR 2 MIL

It's kinda funny and a gamble. People will always go way out of their way to be the "first" to do something, even if the accomplishment is nigh meaningless.

Who was the first lvl 75 XXX job on your server when Y expansion was released? Who was the first level 80/85/90/99 XXX job on your server after Y level cap was unlocked? Who cares? Even so, once this expansion drops, you will see multiple people race to level 99 GEO/RUN (yes, I said "RUN", that's the abbreviation for Rune Fencer that's coded into the game as of current) just to to have those bragging rights. It's the exact same high for obtaining a new item that's a few weeks/months rare.

Some items do deserve the high ticket price regardless, simply because of difficulty of drop.

[Damane]

It's kinda funny and a gamble. People will always go way out of their way to be the "first" to do something, even if the accomplishment is nigh meaningless.

Who was the first lvl 75 XXX job on your server when Y expansion was released? Who was the first level 80/85/90/99 XXX job on your server after Y level cap was unlocked? Who cares? Even so, once this expansion drops, you will see multiple people race to level 99 GEO/RUN (yes, I said "RUN", that's the abbreviation for Rune Fencer that's coded into the game as of current) just to to have those bragging rights. It's the exact same high for obtaining a new item that's a few weeks/months rare.

Some items do deserve the high ticket price regardless, simply because of difficulty of drop.

thats funny, because in my 10 years of FFXI I dont remember any of those names anymore lol. I just know someone hit BLU 75 3 days right after ToAU was released, name? no clue haha

[The Stig]

Thankfully FFXI didn't have an achievements system (Xbox gave it one but it's lolworthy at best) otherwise you'd probably get the typical WoW-idiots talking none stop about them, which is somewhat annoying.

Although at the moment FFXIAH seems to have artificially given players one, and a lot seem to use that as a measuring tool/point. i.e. #1 on server, or overall, etc

[TheDangerousDave]

Its funny how everyone shits on the job every chance they get...yet according to the 2012 census, its the most completed relic weapon. I agree though, its one of those jobs everyone should have leveled, since for all intents, when its called upon, its pretty easy to gear for its purpose (TK, AA+2, RP+2)

I'm not shitting on THF, I'm saying if you have WHM and THF (useful jobs) then you can gear a less useful job (DRG PUP SMN etc) by doing events on them

[Mahoro]

Thankfully FFXI didn't have an achievements system (Xbox gave it one but it's lolworthy at best) otherwise you'd probably get the typical WoW-idiots talking none stop about them, which is somewhat annoying.

Although at the moment FFXIAH seems to have artificially given players one, and a lot seem to use that as a measuring tool/point. i.e. #1 on server, or overall, etc

The funny thing is that you can use it as an inverse measuring tool. It is easy to tell who has leveled every single job to 99 just for AH points, and you can tell a lot about someone who has only leveled a subset of jobs.

[NynJa]

I'm not shitting on THF, I'm saying if you have WHM and THF (useful jobs) then you can gear a less useful job (DRG PUP SMN etc) by doing events on them

I didnt say you were, I just meant in general when everyone says its a total fail job

[Chamaan]

Not to sidetrack, but thread title totally made me think of Back to the Future II. Maybe you should get a Pit Bull.

[JIUHOU]

Unfortunately for me, since really NO ONE CARES about this shit