General Tips for FFXI

[Mahman]

I just read through the thread and I'm fairly baffled nobody seems to have mentioned this already (if they did, I apologize and blame my lack of sleep):

If you play on PC, you lock on/lock off your current target with * on the numpad.

Goddamn, it took FOREVER to back away far enough to lose the target when I was a newbie and didn't know about this. x.x

It's the "H" key if you are using a condensed keyboard layout (laptop or small USB keyboard).

[Kohan]

If you really want to raise your own chocobo, invest in growing your own food for the bird.

If you're referring to carrots, I have to respectfully disagree with this suggestion, but on one condition: new Chocobo raisers probably won't have Wooden Flowerpots on their first attempt.

Without Wooden Flowerpots, it's extremely uncommon for you to get a very healthy harvest of many carrots. You'll get a lot of worms and otherwise useless items, making it feel like your time invested was worthless. This is especially damaging to newer players, since they'll feel the return on their seed investment isn't that great.

Instead, farm regularly and buy the carrots off of a city AH; usually, they're cheaper there than they are on the Jeuno/Whitegate AH. Don't be afraid to shop around, though.

If you're a seasoned player and have plenty of money, therefore being able to buy all the Wooden Flowerpots you want, then go for it.

[Xanthu]

if you're playing on Windows FFXI, the menu up/down functions are unassigned by default. go into config/movement settings and assign them. these keys act the same as ps2 dpad up/down arrows, making it extremely easy to target alliance members.

awesome for stpc cure tanking macros.

This is in the FFXI settings outside the game? I think I need pictures because all my white mages need this badly

Edit: got it. config--> Misc2-->key assignment:movement any suggestions on what to put there?

Edit again: ok with a full Keyboard I can't make this work, but those on laptops can. what the eff?

[Valyana]

You need to set it to use the compact keyboard layout, also in Misc.2. Compact layout ftw.

[Spekkio]

you can target alliance members by using the <aMN> command where M is the party number and N is the player number in that party.

[Amele]

You need to set it to use the compact keyboard layout, also in Misc.2. Compact layout ftw.

isn't necessary to set compact. just hold down control in full keyboard mode and don't have it bound as a windower macro key.

[Rasantath]

take a mule to jeuno to use for the auction house slots. this will help you sell your stuff if you craft a lot. also if you are not in jeuno on your main, and need something from there.
just buy sneak oil and prism powders to do it. one stack of each ought to be enough.

and while you are at it, stop that mule at selbina to raise its fame. go buy stacks of boyahda moss off the jeuno AH (with your main), or farm them from Goobbue Farmers in zitah, send them to your mule (and conveniently there is now a moogle in selbina), and trade them in to the NPC for fame. you get 600 gil for each, which means if you buy them from the AH for less than 7.2k per stack, you actually make money doing this. trading in 25 stacks will get you hero fame in jeuno. this means you can then do the gobbiebag quests with your mule should you ever decide that you need more inventory on it.

[Dreirael]

PC:

Tab key to browse through targets to the right
Tab key + shift allows to you browse targets to the left

Moving camera while having menus open, fighting or dead: Shift + arrow keys


Config. > Gameplay > Controls: Auto-target during battle ON/OFF means you will lock on to your target when you start fighting

Typing "/autotarget off" means you WILL NOT START FIGHTING NEXT MOB in front of you AUTOMATICALLY! (Hello dynamis...)

"/autotarget on" is very good in merit parties. Please move yourself to face the next pulled mob, instead of wasting time to try start fighting again only to get "You must wait longer to perform that action."

[Jujubee]

Most of these things I already knew. So I haven't thoroughly read the topic, sorry if I mention something already said.

General Tips: Do not macro your 2HR abilities, if you do, use /recast "(2HR)" then /ja "(2HR)" <stpc> and click on yourself when you need it. I recommend using <stnpc> for anything offense [nukes] and <stpc> for anything defensive [cures], only use <me> for self-target only things such as job abilities. This will help you avoid accidentally clicking the wrong thing and suffering through the animation for it, as well as help avoid magic aggro. Last but not least, common courtesy, please use it, its the most important thing you'll ever need. Don't be 'that guy' who joins a party and immediately starts bossing people around and starting fights. If you disagree with someone's opinion, their play style or gear choice don't bitch at them about it. Try 'suggesting' they try your idea and don't 'demand' them to do anything. EVER.

Now some tips for particular jobs I have experience with.

BRD: Mazurka can be used as a provoke-like spell. If your tank is down and your mages are being pummeled, if you have full HP and/or /NIN sub, cast Mazurka. A BRD can take more hits than a BLM or WHM with the right gear. Make an instant /ma "Goddess Hymnus's" <me> macro if you KNOW your party is about to wipe. They will thank you later. Finally, stack your related songs under 1 button. IE:

/ta <me> (optional)
/recast "Blade Madrigal"
/ma "Blade Madrigal" <stpc>
/equip Range "Traversiere +1"
/ma "Sword Madrigal" <stpc>

BST: If you're being chased by a mob, you don't have a pet, and the mob is immune to charm, use charm on the mob chasing you. Charm acts as a 3 second bind against uncharmable mobs such as Goblins, Beastmen, etc. And above all, level BST to 75 if you plan on using it as a subjob. Charm success rate depends on the real level of your BST. So RDM75/BST37 = RDM75/BST75, sort of, if you've leveled BST to 75.

SMN: As someone stated earlier, stack your blood pacts under 1 button. I put my most common support BPs such as Aerial Armor and Earten Ward under the same button. If you're a Taru, don't be reckless and equip several HP <> MP items such as Astral Rings and Hairpins, that makes you a VERY easy target. One simple AoE in Dynamis or what not can kill you, so focus on a nice balance between HP and MP. Me personally, I stay away from anything that converts HP to MP. Oh yeah, level SCH to 37 for a kickass subjob.

[Apelila]

I thought they nerfed Mazurka hate?

[Jujubee]

They did? I could be wrong then. I recently came back to FFXI after two years and a lot has changed, but most of the game mechanics I know are still the same.

[Amele]

They did? I could be wrong then. I recently came back to FFXI after two years and a lot has changed, but most of the game mechanics I know are still the same.

they did yeah.

[Vail]

was a shame, was great to support brd tanks and after raptor mazurka was added nin/brd was pretty awesome

ofcourse that's probably why they nerfed it: SE don't like giving NINs an easy time to tank.~

[rithridan]

/ta <me> (optional)
/recast "Blade Madrigal"
/ma "Blade Madrigal" <stpc>
/equip Range "Traversiere +1"
/ma "Sword Madrigal" <stpc>

I might be wrong but that macro will work up till the last line. If I remember correctly switching anything in the main, sub, range, head, body, hands, legs, feet slots will cause your character to blink. If you blink while in a subtarget mode (caused by anything done with <st[x]>) you will automaticly lose that mode and any macro lines after it. The only way I see it working would be by changing it to this :

/recast "Blade Madrigal"
/ma "Blade Madrigal" <stpc>
/equip range "Traversiere +1"
/wait 3
/ma "Sword Madrigal" <stpc>

[_chuchu]

was a shame, was great to support brd tanks and after raptor mazurka was added nin/brd was pretty awesome

ofcourse that's probably why they nerfed it: SE don't like giving NINs an easy time to tank.~

or mpk

[Apelila]

Yeah, you could MPK the hell out of people with it.
....not that I would know anything about that *whistles innocently* (There are no gil seller bodies @ mother globe)!

[deadpooled]

looking for a rdm/brd/sch/cor for your party? check where that person is before sending them a /t....nothing more annoying than being in dynamis and getting /t's [party] [do you need it]

[Jujubee]

I might be wrong but that macro will work up till the last line. If I remember correctly switching anything in the main, sub, range, head, body, hands, legs, feet slots will cause your character to blink. If you blink while in a subtarget mode (caused by anything done with <st[x]>) you will automaticly lose that mode and any macro lines after it. The only way I see it working would be by changing it to this :

/recast "Blade Madrigal"
/ma "Blade Madrigal" <stpc>
/equip range "Traversiere +1"
/wait 3
/ma "Sword Madrigal" <stpc>

With my method all you have to do is move your <st> cursor onto somebody else as soon as you cast the first song. Or, you can just let it untarget you then click the macro again, you'll have time to do it since songs take a long time to cast anyway. This macro set up is also great for Pianissimo because using <stpc> will let you use it on other party members, you can't do that if you're using <me>.

Another General Tip: For your offensive macros with <stnpc> you can put /ta <bt> in the line above that macro so it will automatically target your primary 'red' enemy. The only catch to it is when you have pull, sleep or use crowd control it will target the mob you don't want and you'll have to click around with your sub cursor. It's still very useful for quickly targeting your enemies in the midst of several NPCs. But I don't recommend using /ta <bt> above Sleep macros since rarely do you ever want to sleep the mob people are hitting on. Another useful macro setting, for those who level sync a lot, on any job. Let's say you're a BLM with a Fire 4 macro, and you can't use Fire 4 in your capped party/BCNM. What you can do is make your macro look something like this:

/ta <bt>
/ma "Fire IV" <stnpc>
/ma "Fire III" <lastst>
/ma "Fire II" <<lastst>
(Don't use <stnpc> more than once)

What this will do is automatically go down to the next spell if the one above it is unavailable. The catch with this type of macro setting is it doesn't leave much room for gear swapping and it doesn't work with Blue Magic.

Tip for SCH: You can save space with your stratagem and arts macros by combining them, similar to what I said about spells. This is what my SCH macros look like:

For Arts
/ja "Addendum: White" <me>
/ja "Light Arts" <me>
(It only works this way)

For MP/Speed Casting
/ja Celerity <me>
/ja Alacrity <me>
/ta <me> <st>
/ja Penury <me>
/ja Parismony <me>

What these macros will do is first, Addendum: White can't be used if Light Arts isn't active so it will immediatlely go down to the next line and use Light Arts. The second macro will cast Celerity or Alacrity first depending on which Art you're under, the /ta <me> <st> will activate Penury or Parismony on top of last ability as long as you click on something with your sub target.

I use these types of macros on my other jobs as well. For SMN I stack Sublimation <me> and "Divine Seal" <me> under one button for WHM and SCH subs. Stoneskin with Light Arts, Blink with Dark Arts. With BRD I stack "Utsusemi: Ichi" <me> above Cure II <stpc> and "Utsusemi: Ni" <me> above "Cure III" <stpc>.

Bottom line, the trick with these types of macros is if Line 1 is unavailable it will go down and activate Line 2, or 3, 5, etc as long as they're automatic and use <me> or <lastst>. It doesn't work with 'Aura" type abilities above non-aura. IE: Light Arts above Add: White won't work because you'll get an error when you try to access Add: White saying something like "That ability is already active" and it won't move down to the next line.

[Dohorehn]

Don't accept party invites from players whose names are comprised solely of consonants.

[Deeke]

Lazy much? You can make macros for your /seacoms!

Example:

LINE1~ /sc1 {{Level Sync}} ok^^
LINE2~ /sc2 {{Long Time}} {{Party}} {{Please.}}
LINE3~ /sc3 {{Runic Portal}}: 6/6
LINE4~ /wait 1
LINE5~ /scu "expparty" 1


The /sc1-3 lines set the message, then the /scu command writes those messages to a specific /seacom category and sub-category and makes the whole thing active.


More details.


Crazy useful.