Starting FFXIV in 2021

[arus2001]

Even Yoshida himself encourages it. He mentions all the time that he'd rather have people play a bit and then take breaks when they feel like it so they can always enjoy the game when they're playing, instead of feeling forced to play and have it be almost like a job.

Perhaps I should rephrase, then, as I see a difference between not making the game a job and broadening the ways in which people can empower their characters. For example, I think we'd all agree that the open world is pretty useless in this respect once you're done with questing. Things like revamping FATEs and making the map system more interesting could go a long way in remedying that on the activity end. When it comes to gearing, Materia has probably been one of the most disappointing aspects since it's nowhere near what OG FF7 was.

[The Stig]

Materia's a joke, it's literally just jewels from WoW lol
I was hoping (before 2.0 got out) that it would be a nice little system to augment our characters, then that went down the drain

Lack of [ability/power] customization of our characters really sucks and everything is so streamlined. I know though even if we had one everyone would just math the shit out of it and have an "all best" build.

The best workaround I can think of is to implement League of Legend's rune system/WoW's talent system where everything is an advantage and nearly equal and caters to your playstyle. But in the form of materia.

[arus2001]

Finding the best is unavoidable regardless of the circumstance, as we can point toward rotations and literal DPS checks more or less demanding it. Otherwise, my own personal dev style has basically been, "If something can't be a little broken in a fun way, you're not there yet." That would more or less by intent with Materia and modifying abilities.

[Brandson]

Thanks for the comments. Is there a recommended levelling guide somewhere? So far all the ones I've found seem to assume a lot of knowledge about the game that I don't have. Levelling by doing the main story quests seems to go ok for the first job, but other than grinding out xp chains, which seems really inefficient, what is recommended for levelling the next jobs?

[Kaslo]

Thanks for the comments. Is there a recommended levelling guide somewhere? So far all the ones I've found seem to assume a lot of knowledge about the game that I don't have. Levelling by doing the main story quests seems to go ok for the first job, but other than grinding out xp chains, which seems really inefficient, what is recommended for levelling the next jobs?

If a tank/healer: get to level to run a dungeon, run dungeons, ???, win.

If DPS, the same along with Fates while queuing

[Corrderio]

Thanks for the comments. Is there a recommended levelling guide somewhere? So far all the ones I've found seem to assume a lot of knowledge about the game that I don't have. Levelling by doing the main story quests seems to go ok for the first job, but other than grinding out xp chains, which seems really inefficient, what is recommended for levelling the next jobs?

For your first job leveling to 60 (80 if you buy the expansions) can be doing just doing the main scenario.

For tanks/healers due to the constant need for them you can breeze through using duty finder to do dungeons at your level. DPS is a bit more tricky due to the long wait times.

However you have daily roulette you can do which will give you a significant EXP bonus. You can piratically get a level a day doing them. Just get ready to cry if you do the MSQ Roulette though.

EDIT: You have a challenge log that resets weekly that can kind of help too. Most of it is pretty straight forward and your progress resets weekly. Either way as long as you're a DPS and looking for dungeons I highly suggest you take up gathering or crafting since depending on what you're queued up for it can take 10-15 minutes in some cases for a dungeon.

[Athas]

Some servers will also grant a Road to 70 buff for your first 90 days that doubles your xp. Pretty easy to level 2-3 jobs to 70 just from the MSQs while it's on.

[Anoat]

Since the changes to ARR a couple of months ago you get SO MUCH xp from doing MSQ it’s probably better to level up two jobs at once just doing main story, otherwise you are going to outlevel the MSQ pretty easily.

[Corrderio]

Since the changes to ARR a couple of months ago you get SO MUCH xp from doing MSQ it’s probably better to level up two jobs at once just doing main story, otherwise you are going to outlevel the MSQ pretty easily.

This is also true. When I came back I hit 70 on NIN before getting to level 70 portion of the story. Same with Shadowbringsers and 80 so there's plenty of EXP opportunity for around 2 jobs in the main quests alone.

[Gokulo]

There's also deep dungeon to break the pace

[Corrderio]

There's also deep dungeon to break the pace

Is it even possible to do those if you just started? I sat on trying to do Heaven on High on Samurai and after an hour with no progress I bailed.

[Gokulo]

Tbh I don't know. All my jobs are 70+ now, I recently did Heaven on High to complete Khloe's book and getting a party for the 21+ floor is usually fast, but I guess initial levels might not be that popular.

[Scythiroth]

I feel like people are probably just queuing for 51-60 in potd and 21-30 in hoh nowadays. Actually clearing through to those floors is probably rough, queue time wise.

edit: If they are even doing it at all.

[Isiolia]

Thanks for the comments. Is there a recommended levelling guide somewhere? So far all the ones I've found seem to assume a lot of knowledge about the game that I don't have. Levelling by doing the main story quests seems to go ok for the first job, but other than grinding out xp chains, which seems really inefficient, what is recommended for levelling the next jobs?

Partly may depend on what jobs you're looking at, as expansion jobs will start at higher level - Dark Knight and Machinist will start at 30, Samurai and Red Mage at 50, Dancer and Gunbreaker at 60. So, jumping into dungeon leveling (or having a job to alternate on the MSQ on) will be simpler with those. For ones starting lower, you can do Fates, turn in quests on them (if possible), do Challenge Log stuff, that sort of thing.

Solo dungeon stuff, offhand - Deep Dungeons technically can work from 1-70, Palace of the Dead up to 60, Heaven on High 61-70. Soloing through floor 50 in PotD may take some real grinding though, and is needed for better XP from the 51-60 block, and to unlock Heaven on High. A nice aspect of the independent leveling of Deep Dungeons is that you level up in them very quickly, so you can get a feel of how different jobs work in a fraction of the time. The downside is that you basically need to clear a block of levels to get a benefit from it, making it easy to spend a lot of time maximizing a set of levels, only to get nothing out of it if you can't clear the boss (or hit a bad trap or something).
For around 20-60 you potentially have the option to run Command Missions with your Squadron (assuming you have ranked up in your Grand Company). Basically, you can do some of the dungeons in that range with a group of NPCs, albeit ones with not-super-great AI. 70+, you should be able to run Shadowbringers story dungeons with Trusts - NPCs of story characters that are actually programmed to handle the mechanics.

Or just get a handle on whatever job and queue up.

[Hellfury]

I am almost a little jealous of those starting now, Shadowbringers was the best story experience I had in at least a decade, and best FF experience I had since... hmm... I really liked XII, but IX I guess... Even if you just play it through for the story, it'll be well worth it. some MSQ stretches will be dreary, but it is so worth it in the end.

As others have said, you'll have zero problems catching up to more than good enough gear, but don't look at it as a MMORPG, treat it as a regular RPG with multiplayer elements and just enjoy

[Corrderio]

Also this is maybe me being biased but despite the longer queue times you'll have as a DPS, I think they're the best choice for a starter.

Once you hit 50 people will expect tanks to do huge pulls of 2-3ish groups or more depending on the situation which requires good use of CD skills and/or gear. While this is going on healers need to have a good balance of healing and DPSing whereas the DPS have to simply AoE everything down. All roles will have expectations for this but I feel DPS have the most forgiving as long as they know what they're doing.

There are a few variables though such as the jobs in the party. I'm pretty ignorant on healing but for tanking Paladin has a lot of CDs and cure (though it can get interrupted so not that reliable) to stay alive. Gunbreaker has a decent skill set too and a regen they can apply to themselves or a party member, and Dark Knight... well DRK is shit in the 60s but at 70 gets one of the strongest damage reduction skills in the game IMO.

[Anoat]

It’s kinda funny how the game has developed based on how players actually play the game, a total reversal of the early days of XI. The best example is the above mentioned wall to wall pulls. It’s not as easy to do in the early dungeons because devs didn’t design them that way. But as they saw that as the preferred play style, they began creating dungeon layouts and mob placement with that in mind.

[Corrderio]

It's both a blessing and a curse. On one hand minimal learning but it makes the dungeons feel same-y

[Corrderio]

Also for another hint on progression main scenario quests give you plenty of options for equipment so you won't have to worry TOO much about buying gear. That and dungeons have chests that contain accessories, armor, and/or weapons.

But more importantly when you can begin doing roulette runs or some of the later 50/60/70/80 dungeons they'll give you tomestones of poetics that can be used to buy really high level 50/60/70 gear that can last you quite a bit. You probably won't do much grinding on them until your 3rd or so job but something to keep in mind once you hit those milestones on a job.

[isolo]

I personally played the game only on beta, I noticed that they are using game engine similar to WoW (if not the same), which puts me in a place I couldn't get my self out which is they are gust trying to copy WoW.
I have it when the screen full with lights and beams and animations in the since I don't understand what's going on, not to mention the high numbers (15K, 200K ...) I goes like what is this? is it high? is it low? what the average hit link is like!?
in ffxi when I hit a 100 it means a 100, when I hit a 3000 I totally feel it
I just wish if the they invested this money and effort to remake ffxi