Heading to FFXIV, could use some tips.

[Krelian80]

Well, my WoW time has come to an end. Until today I could at least find one or two reasons to stay. Now today there literally is nothing anymore.

So I downloaded the Starter Edition of FFXIV and will start when I get home. Been an FF player since FF3, so quite stoked to try it out but I also have no idea what to expect.

Any tips for a beginner? For the record, I'm playing a Havoc DH on WoW and it's been by far my favorite play style in all of WoW. Just so it gives you an idea of what type of class I like.

[Shamite]

The menus in FFXIV are terrible. Prepare for it, there are loads of sub context menus and it can be overwhelming so spend a bit of time getting familiar with it. There are some good new beginner guides on reddit as well.

Its a slower paced game and way more about story then WOW is so take time to enjoy the story IMO. Also you have to complete the main story to continue, you can't access the latest content unless you complete the mainstory so make that your focus. As far as class I would think Ninja would suit you well since you like DH but I'm not sure when it becomes available so monk would be the next best thing.

Its a great game but its different. So if you go into it looking for it to be wow you will be dissapointed. Crafting is complex, but I think its amazing, puts every other MMO i have ever put to shame for gathering and crafting. Crafting is its own game inside of ffxiv.

EDIT: you can be every class/job on a single character which is really nice. But leveling alternate jobs is terrible since side quests don't really provide good experience.

[CerealLord]

You can also buy a class boost for only $25 if you don't want to grind up the side classes. I did that on all of mine because I'm lazy.

The game is slower, but it is very fulfilling. I still go back to wow because i prefer the endgame, but dungeons and gameplay in general is fun.

Ninja is a good recommendation (rogue is main class. You can't start as it you need to be level 10 to spec into it in Limsa Lominsa).

[Shamite]

You can also buy a class boost for only $25 if you don't want to grind up the side classes. I did that on all of mine because I'm lazy.

The game is slower, but it is very fulfilling. I still go back to wow because i prefer the endgame, but dungeons and gameplay in general is fun.

Ninja is a good recommendation (rogue is main class. You can't start as it you need to be level 10 to spec into it in Limsa Lominsa).

Level 10 would be very quick to get to as well so I would definitely pick something that just looks interesting to you but starts in Limsa so you can switch easily.

[CerealLord]

Level 10 would be very quick to get to as well so I would definitely pick something that just looks interesting to you but starts in Limsa so you can switch easily.

Good point! Thanks for that Shamite!

To also expand on that; the classes that start in Limsa (it says your home city on the menu) are Marauder (Tank) and Arcanist (Heal or DPS). You have access to the other cities once you get to them in the story.

The class you start with you are not stuck with. As soon as you hit level 10 you can cross class into ANY of the other classes available in the main game. The other classes (expac classes) all require level 50 and finishing certain questlines.

So if you want rogue, you aren't gimping yourself by going Arcanist or Marauder, as at level 10 you go to the Rogue's guild and learn Rogue. You can then continue on from there.

[dope_danny]

Off the top of my head.

1: the game is not WoW, its a mainline final fantasy so its not "gogogogogogogo" to rush to max level.

2: dont pay to level boost since you still need to do the story anyway, theres also a paid story skip but it would just make everything confusing

3:You start in one of 3 cities based on class and the common agreement is Uldah has the best origin story, Limsa Lominsa is the easiest, but its also an island nation so you are cut off from the larger world till like level 20ish or higher and gridania is 'fine' but the story is the weakest and the area while pretty is kind of boring quest wise in comparison.

4:This is a final fantasy using the job system. Your character is your account. You start on one class but by level 10 you can go to any other class guild and do the starter quest, equip the weapon they give you and be a lvl.1 of that class. You can do everything and level every job on one character which most people do so if you dont like the class each city has alternatives.

5:You will start as a 'greenleaf' which means you have a green leaf by your name to let others know you are new. This isn't a mark of shame and in this game a wipe in a dungeon isnt an instant abandon ship scenario like most wipes in a WoW dungeon finder experience. There are times where you will need to know a fight e.g: boss casts doom and if you dont run to a glowing mark on the floor before the countdown you die instantly and its totally fine to ask what the strat is and 99 times out of 100 people will be fully willing to explain.

6: crafters and gatherers are their own job with gear, quests and stories. If you want gil early your best bet is just seeing what low level material thats used at high level like silver is the most valuable and level a gatherer by farming some of that and selling it

7ont feel like you need to rush. There is a 1-50 experience and story but at 50 you dont just jump into heavensward like you do outland in WoW. There was a 2.1-HW set of patches with primal/summon fights, a storyline, raids, hard mode dungeons which are revisits to dungeons but the layouts changed and new enemies/bosses show up that you go through first. Which also means if you stick to one job you will probably get a buttload of xp we didnt have when HW came out.

8:Gear is a much smaller number increase as you go on so dont be afraid to spend time in stuff like triple triad, chocobo breeding/racing, the gold saucer, lords of verminion, hunting logs, anything that takes your fancy. We are about to get the last major patch till the expansion in early summer 2019 so its not like people are going to keep getting ahead of you right now.

9:If you bought the collection don't be afraid to try new jobs. They don't all start at lvl1. Ninja and in the next patch Blue Mage start at lvl.1 like the launch classes that turn into jobs at lvl.30 and later jobs dont need classes. You just run into the questlines that get you the job crystal and weapon to job change. For example Heavensward gets the Dark Knight tank, Astrologian healer and Machinist dps which start at lvl.30 and if you have Stormblood Red Mage and Samurai are both dps that start at lvl.50. I found say dungeon tanking and healing is easier than in WoW but unlike WoW a healer not also dpsing is considered pretty lazy and holding the party back as a big faux pas. The usual recommendation is pick one tank be it Warrior, Paladin or Dark Knight, one healer be it White Mage, Scholar or Astrologian and any dps you like so you always have something to swap to.

10ont bother with housing till high level, its basically a moneypit, dont buy any gear from the market board/ah before max level to save gil and always check your daily/weekly challenge log for very simple things that will give you free easy money.

11:If you are a fan of the other mainline games try not to skip cutscenes, there are moments where the story puts games like 8-13 to shame and the music in particular is worth sitting through

I would recommend starting in limsa lominsa as arcanist. Get to lvl.10 and unlock Rogue which becomes Ninja but also gets you Arcanist right away which is the only class that becomes two jobs, the ranged dps Summoner and Pet using healer Scholar. You can also go right to a place at lvl.10-15 called the hall of the novice that teaches the basics of the three trinity roles, gets a set of gear for each and a 30% bonus xp ring.

[Zelliaind]

If you like DH on WoW, some of the DPS that you might enjoy is Ninja (starts as Rogue), Dragoon (starts as Lancer), and (maybe) Monk (starts as Pugilist).

If you were a DH tank, there isn't a lot of options but the two tanks I enjoy personally are Dark Knight and Warrior (starts as Marauder). Paladin (starts as Gladiator) is okay too but can get a little boring from my perspective so take that with what you will.

Take it one step at a time and enjoy the story. The start of FFXIV can be quite slow, but stick it out and you'll see how much fun you can have. Be sure to find yourself a good Free Company as well as playing is more fun when you have a great group of people to game with.

Have fun!

[Krelian80]

Good point! Thanks for that Shamite!

To also expand on that; the classes that start in Limsa (it says your home city on the menu) are Marauder (Tank) and Arcanist (Heal or DPS). You have access to the other cities once you get to them in the story.

The class you start with you are not stuck with. As soon as you hit level 10 you can cross class into ANY of the other classes available in the main game. The other classes (expac classes) all require level 50 and finishing certain questlines.

So if you want rogue, you aren't gimping yourself by going Arcanist or Marauder, as at level 10 you go to the Rogue's guild and learn Rogue. You can then continue on from there.

That's awesome information, thank you! The previous posts too.

- - - Updated - - -

If you like DH on WoW, some of the DPS that you might enjoy is Ninja (starts as Rogue), Dragoon (starts as Lancer), and (maybe) Monk (starts as Pugilist).

If you were a DH tank, there isn't a lot of options but the two tanks I enjoy personally are Dark Knight and Warrior (starts as Marauder). Paladin (starts as Gladiator) is okay too but can get a little boring from my perspective so take that with what you will.

Take it one step at a time and enjoy the story. The start of FFXIV can be quite slow, but stick it out and you'll see how much fun you can have. Be sure to find yourself a good Free Company as well as playing is more fun when you have a great group of people to game with.

Have fun!

Good tips, thanks! Looking forward to being in an FF game again, I just want stories for now. All I do in WoW is grind old stuff, I'm seriously tired of it.

So actually when you all say it's a very different game, that's exactly what I'm looking for. Is it actually any similar to any previous FF entries, as far as battles and all?

- - - Updated - - -

Off the top of my head.

1: the game is not WoW, its a mainline final fantasy so its not "gogogogogogogo" to rush to max level.

2: dont pay to level boost since you still need to do the story anyway, theres also a paid story skip but it would just make everything confusing

3:You start in one of 3 cities based on class and the common agreement is Uldah has the best origin story, Limsa Lominsa is the easiest, but its also an island nation so you are cut off from the larger world till like level 20ish or higher and gridania is 'fine' but the story is the weakest and the area while pretty is kind of boring quest wise in comparison.

4:This is a final fantasy using the job system. Your character is your account. You start on one class but by level 10 you can go to any other class guild and do the starter quest, equip the weapon they give you and be a lvl.1 of that class. You can do everything and level every job on one character which most people do so if you dont like the class each city has alternatives.

5:You will start as a 'greenleaf' which means you have a green leaf by your name to let others know you are new. This isn't a mark of shame and in this game a wipe in a dungeon isnt an instant abandon ship scenario like most wipes in a WoW dungeon finder experience. There are times where you will need to know a fight e.g: boss casts doom and if you dont run to a glowing mark on the floor before the countdown you die instantly and its totally fine to ask what the strat is and 99 times out of 100 people will be fully willing to explain.

6: crafters and gatherers are their own job with gear, quests and stories. If you want gil early your best bet is just seeing what low level material thats used at high level like silver is the most valuable and level a gatherer by farming some of that and selling it

7ont feel like you need to rush. There is a 1-50 experience and story but at 50 you dont just jump into heavensward like you do outland in WoW. There was a 2.1-HW set of patches with primal/summon fights, a storyline, raids, hard mode dungeons which are revisits to dungeons but the layouts changed and new enemies/bosses show up that you go through first. Which also means if you stick to one job you will probably get a buttload of xp we didnt have when HW came out.

8:Gear is a much smaller number increase as you go on so dont be afraid to spend time in stuff like triple triad, chocobo breeding/racing, the gold saucer, lords of verminion, hunting logs, anything that takes your fancy. We are about to get the last major patch till the expansion in early summer 2019 so its not like people are going to keep getting ahead of you right now.

9:If you bought the collection don't be afraid to try new jobs. They don't all start at lvl1. Ninja and in the next patch Blue Mage start at lvl.1 like the launch classes that turn into jobs at lvl.30 and later jobs dont need classes. You just run into the questlines that get you the job crystal and weapon to job change. For example Heavensward gets the Dark Knight tank, Astrologian healer and Machinist dps which start at lvl.30 and if you have Stormblood Red Mage and Samurai are both dps that start at lvl.50. I found say dungeon tanking and healing is easier than in WoW but unlike WoW a healer not also dpsing is considered pretty lazy and holding the party back as a big faux pas. The usual recommendation is pick one tank be it Warrior, Paladin or Dark Knight, one healer be it White Mage, Scholar or Astrologian and any dps you like so you always have something to swap to.

10ont bother with housing till high level, its basically a moneypit, dont buy any gear from the market board/ah before max level to save gil and always check your daily/weekly challenge log for very simple things that will give you free easy money.

11:If you are a fan of the other mainline games try not to skip cutscenes, there are moments where the story puts games like 8-13 to shame and the music in particular is worth sitting through

I would recommend starting in limsa lominsa as arcanist. Get to lvl.10 and unlock Rogue which becomes Ninja but also gets you Arcanist right away which is the only class that becomes two jobs, the ranged dps Summoner and Pet using healer Scholar. You can also go right to a place at lvl.10-15 called the hall of the novice that teaches the basics of the three trinity roles, gets a set of gear for each and a 30% bonus xp ring.

I copied your post and pasted it in a text file on my desktop. Thanks for taking the time to type so much information! I am a HUGE fan of the mainline games, played them all multiple times. So I'm super looking forward to the music!

[shadowmatrix]

Ultimate advice, keep your expectations grounded.

[Krelian80]

Ultimate advice, keep your expectations grounded.

For sure. I know grass isn't greener applies to games too. As long as it feels like FF, it'll be fine.

Hell, just giving money to SE instead of Blizzard will be a nice feeling of its own.

[ghostblade]

For sure. I know grass isn't greener applies to games too. As long as it feels like FF, it'll be fine.

Hell, just giving money to SE instead of Blizzard will be a nice feeling of its own.

the biggest warning we can give you is this however. Don't quit to early. Of the mainstory 1-50 and patch 2.1-2.3 are the weakest link. after that the story get a lot and i mean a lot beter

[Krelian80]

the biggest warning we can give you is this however. Don't quit to early. Of the mainstory 1-50 and patch 2.1-2.3 are the weakest link. after that the story get a lot and i mean a lot beter

How long does it take to do 1-50 at a decent pace?

[ghostblade]

depending on the server. you can do it very fast. Some more emptier servers stil have the Road to 60 buff which increase leveling way too much. in which you can ingore side quest. but if you play it daily and focus on the main quest you can problably do it in a few weeks.

again though. depends on your speed and how fast you level.

[Krelian80]

I play a couple hours a day. So it sounds like I have a hobby there for quite a while then.

I'll be looking for a busy server with a good community. I've been told this game is better enjoyed with others.

[ghostblade]

all i can say is GL and hope you wil enjoy it.

[dope_danny]

also its unanimously agreed that the costa del sol quests to unlock the titan fight is the worst part of the game. Grit your teeth and power through, its never that bad again.

[Ealyssa]

Ultimate advice, keep your expectations grounded.

That's the only sane thing in this post.

With OP playing an havoc DH the awakening will be hardcore in the extremely slow game that is FF XIV.

[Krelian80]

That's the only sane thing in this post.

With OP playing an havoc DH the awakening will be hardcore in the extremely slow game that is FF XIV.

I'm actually okay with that. You're talking to someone who played through FF9 on Android three times. Want slow battles? :P

I want to get immersed in a completely new setting, and enjoy the story. The mystique of WoW is gone, so a completely new and different game feels like a great idea.

[Uko]

The biggest thing is to remember combat will pick up at around 50 when you finally get most of the kit on a lot of classes. Before 50 the game plays a lot slower than wow due to the 2.5 sec gcd but once you get closer the max level things get a lot more fast paced and similar to wow in apm button smashing rotations.

[CerealLord]

I'm actually okay with that. You're talking to someone who played through FF9 on Android three times. Want slow battles? :P

I want to get immersed in a completely new setting, and enjoy the story. The mystique of WoW is gone, so a completely new and different game feels like a great idea.

Then you will love FFXIV. The stories and the battles (primals, mini raid bosses) are fantastic. I loved the storylines all the way through.