Introducing Someone to FFXI

[Octavious]

So early last week my girlfriend expressed that she was interested in trying out FFXI since I talked about playing for a few years(not recently due to my last year at OSU keeping me rather busy) and I was wondering what all I should do to start off well and spark her interest to continue and get into the latter parts of the game that I (along with most I assume) enjoy over the early grind-happy portions of the game.

We played for around an hour and a half and I PL'd her with my PLD for a bit but I quickly realized it's hard to draw someone into the game when the first few bits involve massive amounts of grinding. It's been so long since I've been in the position of bringing someone new into the game that I would like some recommendations on things that would be interesting for a new player.

I appreciate any/all suggestions. At the moment I think I'll just continue to PL until we can level sync and duo together, but I would like to do some missions/quests with her it's just been so long since I've done them all I can't remember most of them, heh (and I don't feel like poking around FFXIclopedia for hours to make a list). Please suggest any fun missions/quick quests for new players if possible, thanks all!

[Isiolia]

Compared to how it used to be, early XP flies, with FoV pages, XP ring, etc. She should be able to get to the point where you can do nation missions pretty quickly. The trek to even rank 3 involves quite a lot of traveling for a new person to do...go through Jeuno to get a Chocobo license n' so on.

They did implement "tutorial" NPCs http://wiki.ffxiclopedia.org/wiki/Tutorial_NPC which have some decent rewards for a new player (free XP ring, reraise earring, etc). Often overlooked by anyone that has played for a while.

[D44kpunk]

good luck, in my opinion ffxi is extremely boring until endgame and even then can be a drag at times. if you really wanna play a game /together/ with her and have fun try aion or WoW or something where the leveling experience isn't totally banging your head against the wall.

[Octavious]

I might try AION, but I figured I'd try to spark interest in FFXI if possible since i've already got a base to be able to assist with the hard parts of leveling up. I'll look into those Tutorial NPCs and see what all would be beneficial, I appreciate the feedback. I think once we walk to Jeuno and start the adventuring/missions it'll pick up a little. That's when it did for me anyway, but that was many years ago, heh.

[Carraway]

try aion ...where the leveling experience isn't totally banging your head against the wall.

Have you played AION? I did, and though I didn't mind the leveling curve, most people I talked to abhorred it.

I appreciate any/all suggestions. At the moment I think I'll just continue to PL until we can level sync and duo together, but I would like to do some missions/quests with her it's just been so long since I've done them all I can't remember most of them, heh (and I don't feel like poking around FFXIclopedia for hours to make a list). Please suggest any fun missions/quick quests for new players if possible, thanks all!

You can PL her until around ~12-14ish, then start duoing FoV pages. Despite the terrible reputation that Valkurm Dunes has, it really isn't so bad if you make your own party -- but if that's not the route you want to go, there's also the option of making her the sync target for a few MMM Astral Flow experience mazes, or a real astralburn if that's an option.

For missions and quests, the natural progression is pretty painless with the increased speed of early leveling. Nation missions, chocobo license, Kazham airship pass, and so on. From 30 on, there's CoP to look forward to, and it should be easier to help her with the level caps removed after the next update.

[Therin]

Honestly, she's going to have to learn to enjoy the game on her own. You won't really get very far if you just powerlevel her all through the early levels. Instead, take advantage of level sync and FoV to actually play the game with her, explore the areas that you probably haven't been to in years, and let her learn the ropes this way. Holding someone's hand in an MMO isn't, in my opinion, a good way to get them into the game because the big draw and excitement of an MMO is the idea of trying to best the learning curve, explore the huge world, and make your character stronger.

[Octavious]

Honestly, she's going to have to learn to enjoy the game on her own. You won't really get very far if you just powerlevel her all through the early levels. Instead, take advantage of level sync and FoV to actually play the game with her, explore the areas that you probably haven't been to in years, and let her learn the ropes this way. Holding someone's hand in an MMO isn't, in my opinion, a good way to get them into the game because the big draw and excitement of an MMO is the idea of trying to best the learning curve, explore the huge world, and make your character stronger.

Yea, I planned on leveling with her too, but I can't until around 10. In a little under an hour I ran with her through a mission and got her to around Lv7. I very much intend on leveling a job alongside though, I figure I could do my BST since it would give us a little assistance alongside my NPC and her character under level sync.

[barber2006]

I did the WoW trial last week and two things that I immediately noticed I was missing (although they may be there on the full version or after level 19) was cutscenes/missions and music. BCNM 20's, the nation dragon fight, things like that are good introductions to the things that people will later remember.


Having said that, the adventure itself of an unknown world was fun. Running through bubu at 15 to catch a boat only to have pirates appear, not being able to outrun a tiger in battalia on my first trip to jeuno and having this all powerful bard raise me when I didn't even know raise existed, almost dying in a 3 person party to a dhamal in T. Canyon when the whm whipped out his two hour and all of a sudden we were going to live! I just don't know if that can be done with a 75 watching over your shoulder. I would say if you want her to play, then continue the PL. But if you want her to get hooked, let her enjoy the adventure. Lord knows she will eventually become efficiency minded and completely jaded like the rest of us in short order anyway.....



On a side note. My early leveling in WoW took longer than FF. It's like 14k exp tnl at level 16 in WoW compared to what? 4k in FFXI? With the same amount of exp per kill basically. I had quests to help me out but around level 14 I smooth ran out of quests in all of the places I could visit without going through IT mobs. Of course I wasn't looking at any guides or anything but FFXI's 1-20 doesn't seem so bad.

[Red Demon Taoist]

If you try to introduce post WoW MMOers (a far cry from girlfriends, gl with that...) they'll just judge you for liking a dinosaur of an MMO.

And like ^^^ they said, FFXI makes a horrendous first impression. Welcome to Vanadiel, here's 50 gil, good luck!

[Gustave]

I would agree with Therin. You should try playing the game with her and not pl'ing rushing her through it. Starting another mule account wouldn't be a bad idea.

[D44kpunk]

Have you played AION? I did, and though I didn't mind the leveling curve, most people I talked to abhorred it.

Have you ever played MMOs? I have, and everyone complains about everything no matter what.

on a more serious note, ffxi leveling is monotonous and there's nothing to it, for the first 30 levels (usually takes a week or two for a new player.) all you do is engage and watch your character attack until you can weapon skill, or cast the same spell over and over again. I'm sorry but what I said still stands, good luck having fun leveling up with someone on ffxi.. especially someone that's never played before.

also oh lawd at saying ffxi missions are fun, oh boy. other games have story lines via the quests, not pointless missions.

if you wanna have fun leveling up on ffxi, astral burn.

[Leylana]

Speaking from experience (a boyfriend got me to start playing XI in '05) don't leave her alone to learn everything by herself. One of my biggest pet peeves was being left alone clueless to do things. If you really want to spend time with her then try to teach her as much as you can, and when you are able to be on with her, then do so.

All these guys that are like "Man I don't want to do low level stuff, I wanna go slay dragons and rack up mad IS/AN/etc" don't have girlfriends to play with for a reason. I myself am a mission/exp nut and would offer to hang out with her but we're on different servers.

Another suggestion would be to make a new char and level it up with her, at least until she's comfortable enough with the game. Then you can pull out your main, and sync. I felt better when my (now ex) made a new char just to run around and do stuff with me. I thought it was sweet of him.

[The Stig]

If you try to introduce post WoW MMOers (a far cry from girlfriends, gl with that...) they'll just judge you for liking a dinosaur of an MMO.

And like ^^^ they said, FFXI makes a horrendous first impression. Welcome to Vanadiel, here's 50 gil, good luck!

Truth. Fucking explaining the concept of a subjob and how 1 job/class can actually do several things was a complete alien concept...

Octavious: I think it is important you let your GF play with herself <giggidy> because only through the experiences of dying and actually feeling in danger (unexplored territory, dangerous mobs, etc) may get her more hooked, and a sense of progression... i.e. make cash, buy some leather armor. get to level 11, make more cash, buy some scale armor, and then let addiction or curiousity take its course.

[Octavious]

I felt better when my (now ex) made a new char just to run around and do stuff with me. I thought it was sweet of him.

yea, I would make a new character except she's at 7 now, so I might just gear my BST while she works her own way from 7-10 (Vomp Hill GoGo) then we can sync. If she doesn't enjoy it it's not a big deal, I didn't expect her to and she's been having fun so far.

Considering I don't play often anyway and both of us work full time, I'm wondering if I ought to just throw in the towel on FFXI if she doesn't like it and try out some other MMOs or FFXIV. We're just looking for something with a reasonable amount of content that we could play together. Having burned through a variety of Co-Op games on Wii/360, i recommended an MMO since they usually contain more content to play through, lol. Even though i've done most of it, I am actually looking forward to playing through the missions again with her since i really enjoyed Bastok's storyline.

[Buttons]

OMG Octy you're coming back?! :D And it definately gets better once you can take her to Jeuno and also get to unlock WG access. Exploring is always fun. :D

[Octavious]

OMG Octy you're coming back?! :D And it definately gets better once you can take her to Jeuno and also get to unlock WG access. Exploring is always fun. :D

hehe, possibly. I figured since every job at 75 is capped at 43,999 I can pop over to 76 shortly after they add it lol. I should also tell you that she is a cuter taru than I am Buttons, so no frisky taru hands!

[Buttons]

Tell her she gets major plus points for choosing a Taru. xD We definately need to hang out sometime, I'll be gone this weekend but maybe next week sometime. :D

[Drakath]

No matter how much you PL her, she won't stick around unless she genuinely wants to (which makes PLing her pointless aside from easier leveling--if she wants to play she'll play with or without a PL).

[Octavious]

No matter how much you PL her, she won't stick around unless she genuinely wants to (which makes PLing her pointless aside from easier leveling--if she wants to play she'll play with or without a PL).

I understand this, point was if she finds it interesting I wouldn't mind playing again too. I basically left because I was bored of everything and found myself not logging on at all (busy with school etc) so I deactivated the IDs. With the upcoming addition of new level caps and what it'll change it sounds kind of exciting to play again. The plan is to more/less sync & level with her once she makes it to 10, hopefully she'll at least have enough to make a decision on when we begin to level together. I don't care if she doesn't like it, I posted to get some ideas on presenting the game in a good light to make a informed choice and I have received good feedback. (thanks again all) :D

Also, Buttons definitely, i'll try to hop on sometime next week if you know when you'll be on shoot me a PM or something and I will do my best'aru.

[Corresapolonia]

Honestly, she's going to have to learn to enjoy the game on her own. You won't really get very far if you just powerlevel her all through the early levels. Instead, take advantage of level sync and FoV to actually play the game with her, explore the areas that you probably haven't been to in years, and let her learn the ropes this way. Holding someone's hand in an MMO isn't, in my opinion, a good way to get them into the game because the big draw and excitement of an MMO is the idea of trying to best the learning curve, explore the huge world, and make your character stronger.

had the same problem with a friend of mine. Didnt matter what we did even if it were for the Missions he enjoyed it but he didnt really bother to stay in Vana'diel on his own. I think it really really depends on what manner you show them the game maybe.
For example showing someone who's interested in trying the game edngame-area wouldnt help it. The game takes you really long to get to the highest level; and even then it really needs you to do some arguest tasks. IF a Player can't really connect with this sort of gameplay it might be worthwhile playing with a RL-friend or gf or etc. but it won't change the fact that the Person isnt just that into the game.