Few questions from a hopefull return player..

Unknown · March 2007

...I played this back when it was first ported to the US on the PC...I've recently bought all the expansions (I collect MMO's along with other games and I just love the way they look on my shelf hehe). But I've been thinking about returning. I'll start by saying, I only had a lvl 13 Elvaan WHM on Ragnarok. My questions are:

1. Since it has been out for a while now, can a player who is still wet under the ears as far as this MMO is concerned be able to play it? In other words, would I have time to learn my profession(s)? Or does every low party in the Dunes out there assume everyone knows what they are doing already? Basically, can a noob survive in this game since it has aged for a while now?

2. I said that I was a lvl 13 Elvaan WHM for a reason.(but this question is for all the professions)...It seems that one of the main selling points that, people who are fans of this game talk up is the fact that you can be any profession you want with just one character...but I remember enough of the banter that went on in the chat box and on these forums before I left, to know that certain races weren't even CONSIDERED getting invited to parties if they were posing as anything other than the 1 or 2 classes that they were mainly designed to be. So, can you be creative and experiment with other classes and STILL get into parties?

3. And along with that, I remember a couple (my memory fails me as to which ones specifically) of the upper professions were *gimped* in some way that they were never invited as well, has this been addressed?

I guess I'm just worried about logging in, excited to learn and give the game an honest and thorough try, only to be yelled for not wearing a certain robe at lvl 14 because the one I got at lvl 12 is no longer good enough for the group...ouch...or knowing that a certain spell was supposed to be set up for a 5 second macro and not 6 seconds (this is just a blind example, I have no clue about the specific macros but I know stuff like this has to be attended to, yes?)

I basically want to LIKE this game, but if its a lost cause or too late for a noob to learn, I'll let it sit on the shelf, just wanted to pick the veterans' brains out there on this issue

Thanks

Rollotamasi · March 2007

Originally posted by SeriphinX

...I played this back when it was first ported to the US on the PC...I've recently bought all the expansions (I collect MMO's along with other games and I just love the way they look on my shelf hehe). But I've been thinking about returning. I'll start by saying, I only had a lvl 13 Elvaan WHM on Ragnarok. My questions are:
1. Since it has been out for a while now, can a player who is still wet under the ears as far as this MMO is concerned be able to play it? In other words, would I have time to learn my profession(s)? Or does every low party in the Dunes out there assume everyone knows what they are doing already? Basically, can a noob survive in this game since it has aged for a while now?
2. I said that I was a lvl 13 Elvaan WHM for a reason.(but this question is for all the professions)...It seems that one of the main selling points that, people who are fans of this game talk up is the fact that you can be any profession you want with just one character...but I remember enough of the banter that went on in the chat box and on these forums before I left, to know that certain races weren't even CONSIDERED getting invited to parties if they were posing as anything other than the 1 or 2 classes that they were mainly designed to be. So, can you be creative and experiment with other classes and STILL get into parties?
3. And along with that, I remember a couple (my memory fails me as to which ones specifically) of the upper professions were *gimped* in some way that they were never invited as well, has this been addressed?

I guess I'm just worried about logging in, excited to learn and give the game an honest and thorough try, only to be yelled for not wearing a certain robe at lvl 14 because the one I got at lvl 12 is no longer good enough for the group...ouch...or knowing that a certain spell was supposed to be set up for a 5 second macro and not 6 seconds (this is just a blind example, I have no clue about the specific macros but I know stuff like this has to be attended to, yes?)
I basically want to LIKE this game, but if its a lost cause or too late for a noob to learn, I'll let it sit on the shelf, just wanted to pick the veterans' brains out there on this issue
Thanks

Ok, Honestly, nothing has changed about the core gameplay at all. The game is pretty much exactly like it was when you left.

Suplyndmnd · March 2007

Well, i guess this will be a differing opinion. I just picked the game up about 6 months ago and as hard as it is to believe. There are still noobs coming into the game. I got a few friends that just started and it seems like i'm seeing new people all the time. Will you get yelled at? Absolutely lol I do too. But the thing is just to learn. There are a lot of resources out there now such as alla and the wiki that can show you all the armor that you can get. You can look at the armor in your level range and decide "Okay, i want a lot of MP and this is going to give me that so let me go get this". Also, examine people. A lot. If you see someone, examine them. Especially if they're showing their job levels and even more so if they're your job. Check what they have. If a certain piece keeps coming up on WHM's look up why. For example. The Holy Phial comes up on most mages because it has quite a bit of +MP. It's (I think) a level 32 piece but level 60 and 65's wear it. I'm a 50 and still wear it.

The community in FFXI is unlike any i've seen in any game let along an MMORPG in that people will help you out as long as you are willing to help yourself. I saw that you weren't on my server but if you choose to start over you can come to Bismarck (as I can vouch for that server) and get some help pretty frequent depending on the time you are on. I've literally made comments outloud about not having enough money to get something (in a joking manner) and have 3+ people try to give me money. I declined though as I like to work my own way through but people seem to be overly helpful. I contribute it to the fact that it weeds a lot of kiddies out because of the monthly fee and more so as it's not the "Flavor of the month" and the hardcore FFXI fans (who tend to be adults) are the ones that play. The servers still generally (especially on weekends) have about 3k people on each so it's still pretty popular.

As far as not being invited because of job/race, i have never even bothered to look and have never skipped over someone because of their job. I'm not happy about taru melee's but if your party is so weak that the fact that a taru is a melee and not a mage sinks everyone, then you need to find another party lol. Hope you come back though. RMT's aren't as big of an issue anymore either. Infact they just banned like 7500 accounts and tend to ban about 8000 a month for the past 5 months and 6-7 months ago they banned 120k. My friend said it's the hardest they've been on RMT's since he started playing from the beginning.

Lastly, i expect everyone to be noobs in the desert and I have nightmares about it. I generally try to find a power level through the desert or party with people I know. That generally cuts down on the idiots. Part of the reason for the desert being hard is links, new players who do stupid things and the fact that you get there at such a low level that an extra hit or two and you're out for the count. Hope you come back and if you start over and come to Bismarck, give me a shout - Shazamalicious is my IGN.

-Cheers

Wizardry · March 2007

Well if you hung around me or anyone in my linkshell,you would have smart players that can answer just about any questions you need answered.

To be honest i'm not like ALOT of other players i see in this game or other games,when comes to gear.There are certain items in the game that can make a difference but they are very few in between levels.I have seen people pay 20k for a weapon ,then others pay 300k for the exact same weapon but it has 1 more attack.That is just insane and really shows how stupid some players are.A few ticks here or there don't do squat to the battle formulae's.So to answer your question ,no i am not one of those that complain about your gear,but yes there are weirdos who do,this is a fact in all games.

Like i said you would need to hang around players like myself ,who are willing to answer and help noobs out.I am not really into holding a noobs hand,but i deffinately would'nt leave you out in the cold.

If you are on a different server than myself,then i strongly reccomend farming for some gil very early on,you'll need the gil.I always reccomend killing crawlers around windhurst for silk.Silk always seems to sel lwell and can net a decent profit for any noob.Reinvest this gil into cooking,wich can reap rewards very early on.There is low crafting food than can regen your magic and hit points,this is very useful when soloing low levels.

One thing i try to do is remember that a game is suppose to be about it's community.It is not the most important thing in the world to level up to 75 as fast as you can,nor is it important that you wear the perfect gear ,it's just a game,it;s not real life.Players should do something gifferent all the time and not just level up everyday.I guess this fascination with speed levelling started back in the EQ days,but you can deffinately point a finger to the WOW community for turning gaming into a childish leet speak genre.The new wave of WOW gamer are more interested in bragging rights and telling everyone about there L33t end game RAIDING guild.I see this type of community i just shake head in dismay.They are playing for all the wrong reasons.

Enjoy all the game content and the people around you[community],this is what makes a great game,not accounts or l33t talk.

ASmith84 · March 2007

all i gotta say is unless your willing to waste your life on this game dont play it again. it takes forevor to do anything in this game.

Suplyndmnd · March 2007

Originally posted by ASmith84

all i gotta say is unless your willing to waste your life on this game dont play it again. it takes forevor to do anything in this game.

And with an attitude like this, I wonder why?

andrewattheU · March 2007

is the economy still similar to 2005??

Im thinking of coming back and playing with my brother but unsure of the economy

Netspook · March 2007

Originally posted by andrewattheU

is the economy still similar to 2005??

Im thinking of coming back and playing with my brother but unsure of the economy

If you wanna check prices and such, go to www.ffxiah.com and check for yourself. Personally, I think the economy is as it should be, at least on Fenrir.

Suplyndmnd · March 2007

I was making note the other day (and by making note I accidentally selected the wrong f'ing server) on ffxiah.com that the economy is vastly different. I play on Bismarck where things going for 20k, go for 45 and 50 on other servers. I found this wild and noticed that Bismarck has one of the lowest economies in the game. Not sure if this is good or bad or neither but my guess is neither. "Why, what makes you say that" you ask? Good question, glad I asked it. Well, my theory of it is, that if prices are low for what you're selling, you need less gil because everything else is, in relation, lower as well.

However, this is one crackpot's theory, i may be wrong.

Rollotamasi · March 2007

Originally posted by Suplyndmnd

Originally posted by ASmith84

all i gotta say is unless your willing to waste your life on this game dont play it again. it takes forevor to do anything in this game.

And with an attitude like this, I wonder why?

While I really agree with the way the person you quoted chose to phrase his reply, i do have to agree with his theory. Don't get me wrong, I loved FFXI and miss it to this day (Quit playing almost three years ago) However he is right. It takes a VERY long time to get things accomplished in the game.

WSIMike · April 2007

Originally posted by SeriphinX

...I played this back when it was first ported to the US on the PC...I've recently bought all the expansions (I collect MMO's along with other games and I just love the way they look on my shelf hehe). But I've been thinking about returning. I'll start by saying, I only had a lvl 13 Elvaan WHM on Ragnarok. My questions are:
1. Since it has been out for a while now, can a player who is still wet under the ears as far as this MMO is concerned be able to play it? In other words, would I have time to learn my profession(s)? Or does every low party in the Dunes out there assume everyone knows what they are doing already? Basically, can a noob survive in this game since it has aged for a while now?
2. I said that I was a lvl 13 Elvaan WHM for a reason.(but this question is for all the professions)...It seems that one of the main selling points that, people who are fans of this game talk up is the fact that you can be any profession you want with just one character...but I remember enough of the banter that went on in the chat box and on these forums before I left, to know that certain races weren't even CONSIDERED getting invited to parties if they were posing as anything other than the 1 or 2 classes that they were mainly designed to be. So, can you be creative and experiment with other classes and STILL get into parties?
3. And along with that, I remember a couple (my memory fails me as to which ones specifically) of the upper professions were *gimped* in some way that they were never invited as well, has this been addressed?

I guess I'm just worried about logging in, excited to learn and give the game an honest and thorough try, only to be yelled for not wearing a certain robe at lvl 14 because the one I got at lvl 12 is no longer good enough for the group...ouch...or knowing that a certain spell was supposed to be set up for a 5 second macro and not 6 seconds (this is just a blind example, I have no clue about the specific macros but I know stuff like this has to be attended to, yes?)
I basically want to LIKE this game, but if its a lost cause or too late for a noob to learn, I'll let it sit on the shelf, just wanted to pick the veterans' brains out there on this issue
Thanks

Hey there SerephinX..

Okay, first, I want to preface my response by saying this. There is no such thing as "getting into the game too late" with FFXI - or any MMO. Everyone starts at the same point and everyone has to go through the same processes to progress. The people who feel you need to get in at the beginning or there's no point are those who seem to value their play experience only in comparison to others'.. "I can't be as good as they are since they've been playing longer, so there' s no point in starting..." To me that's just the wrong attitude from the get-go and it's self-defeating. Not saying that's your stance, SerephinX, but there are people who will tell you "don't bother, you'll never be able to catch up with the long-time players", etc. etc. It's rubbish.

That said, I'll go straight into your questions.

#1. Can a new, still wet-behind-the-ears player make it? Absolutely. There are new players joining all the time and many of the lower-leveled toons you'll see hunting around the newbie areas, or even a little later, will be helpful if you explain your situation and ask politely. How you speak to others is so important. You can check someone to see how experienced they actually are, but some people are a bit irked by that.. What I'll usually do is just do a quick /sea "name here" of someone and get an overview of their job levels and their Rank. Someone over rank 5 or 6, especially, is going to be able to help you more than someone, perhaps, rank 1 or 2. Also, FFXI is a huge, huge.. massive game. People who have jobs to 75 are still learning it in many ways and SE is always introducing something new. So, don't worry... we're all still students of this game in one way or another

. One of FFXI's strengths is its community. Be friendly, be polite and be willing to learn and you'll do just fine.

#2. Umm.. there is still some snobbishness in the job preference for parties. However, much of what you experienced was out of ignorance and people trying to seem more knowledgable than they actually are/were. Over time, people have learned more about the jobs, their strengths and weaknesses. SE has made adjustments to jobs that were once considered "gimped" so they are now considered quite useful. Alot of people will say a job sucks and not even know why - they're just parroting whatever they heard or read someone else say. For example.. I'm a DRG (yes "lolDRG"), one of the typically least invited DDs for a party... I get invites plenty and there are alot of people who will say they love DRG and plan on leveling it. So there ya go... I'd say overall, it's improved. You'll still have wait-times for parties... all jobs will at some point. But I've yet to see a job that hasn't been leveled to 75.. so.. *someone's* inviting them

.

#3 see #2... again, SE continues to adjust and tweak jobs over time to make less used ones more useful and to bring the more over-powered (and thus overly-popular) ones more down to earth. MMOs are a constant balancing act - there is no exact science.

As for your last question about being yelled at in the Dunes.. you know what... People will do that.. and for the most part, I ignore them. However, if you're making your first time through the Dunes or anywhere else at those levels.. the best thing you can do is, when possible, take the initiative and ask questions if you're uncertain. Just say "Hey, I'm a returning player and need a refresher on some things.. What do I do in "xyz" situation?" If someone lays into you for not doing something, simply say "I'm sorry... I'm still new at this so I'm still learning.. What should I be doing differently?" And that's it. The moment you let them know that A: You're new and B: You're willing to learn *and* asking them for advice... you're going to diffuse the situation and things will be fine. Unless you just have a raging idiot in your group... Like death and taxes, unfortunately, those can't be avoided.

In any case.. take your time and enjoy yourself. FFXI is a huge and, in my opinion, fantastic game - despite its pitfalls.

Take care!

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Few questions from a hopefull return player..

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Few questions from a hopefull return player..

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