r/ffxiv • u/FetchMeMyLongsword Amelia Vandelle on Behemoth • Jun 17 '15
[Guide] New to XIV? Read on!
UPDATED JUNE 15, 2017 with updated Stormblood information! Information in bold pertains to Stormblood content!
First off, welcome to one of the greatest MMO's of all time! (If not the greatest!)
A lot of people who are new are concerned about the expansion pack, and have a lot of questions, so I'm here to clarify some things for you all.
UPDATE: With Stormblood coming out (June 20th, 2017), I would like to point out that all the information on here is still pertinent to anybody looking to join today. Even though 4.0 is coming out, It's still a great time to jump in and play XIV!
ANOTHER UPDATE: All of this information still applies with Shadowbringers
No, this is not a bad time to start XIV. It's a great time! This expansion is changing the way that A Realm Reborn content is played. Several instances are now easier than they were on release, and even more are being changed to facilitate a smooth transition into Heavensward/Stormblood.
Yes, there are several parts of the Main Story that require parties. However, there are many things in XIV that require endgame players to go back and do old instances (relics, experience, roulettes, and some people just do it for fun!) so you are not alone, and you will not be forgotten!
Upon release of Heavensward Early Access on the 19th, all main story content in A Realm Reborn will provide around twice as much experience as it used to. This is to help facilitate the transition into Heavensward. You will also be given priority queueing for ARR content, meaning players doing a dungeon for the first time will be put at the top of the queue to get into that dungeon. You won't be waiting for long. It should be noted that it is not required that you own Heavensward for this, it's automatically applied to everyone during ARR content! There has been no report of EXP from Heavensward quests being increased to facilitate Stormblood
Don't forget to level your secondary class. All jobs have a requirement of 30/15, 30 being your main class, 15 being your secondary. For instance, to become a White Mage, you need 30 Conjurer and 15 Arcanist. Don't wait until the last second to get your Arcanist up there. Level it up in your down time while waiting for queue's, or just when you need a break from your story quests.(UPDATE: As of 4.0, you no longer need to level a secondary class to obtain your job.)Don't forget your class/job quests. I know you're in a rush to get to 50, and with the game practically throwing EXP at you, you're going to feel like you can get to 50 in no time! But you NEED to keep up with your class quests. Not only do they give you important class/job skills, they're required to progress through your class/job. You get a new quest every 5 levels, so keep at it!
Gathering and Crafting can be as rewarding as you allow them to be. This does require a lot of hard work, and some of it may be very tedious, but it's a great way to get Gil.
DON'T GET BURNED OUT! Everyone has a limit. If you're starting to feel burned out from the game, take a break from levelling. Get up, get a drink, hang out with friends. There's also the Gold Saucer to hang out in, where you can play Triple Triad and race chocobos. Not everything in this game is work.
Don't neglect your real life. Make sure you eat food, drink liquids, bathe, brush your teeth, etc. Don't become one of those addicts you used to hear about back when WoW was big. Nobody wants to see your life fall apart because of a video game. Friends want to hang out? Go hang out! Have fun! Do stuff!
Don't be afraid to ask questions. Most of the XIV community that I've dealt with are pretty awesome, and will be more than willing to at least answer some questions for a new player. They may even be willing to add you to their friends list and help you out once in a while! If you're a new player or a returning player, ask a mentor to invite you to the Novice Network. This network was added during Heavensward and is a place for novices and returning players to seek help from experienced players, known as Mentors. From personal experience (as a Mentor myself), most Mentors are very helpful and don't mind putting aside some time to help out new players with any questions or issues.
I know most MMO's aren't very story heavy. This is not one of those MMO's. If you love a good story, please, PLEASE, watch your cutscenes. The story in this game is beautiful, and has sparked a LOT of discussion. We want you to be part of that discussion. As an example, the ending to the 2.xx (A Realm Reborn) storyline resulted in a cutscene that is about an HOUR LONG. I know it seems intimidating, but you will not regret watching this series of amazing cutscenes, especially if you've been paying attention and you know what's going on.
Do not pick up every single side quest. You will need them to level up your other classes. Especially at lower levels, most of your exp is going to come from story quests. Between those, you can do your hunting log, levequests, fates, and maybe a few side quests.
No, you can not participate in ANY Heavensward related content until you have finished all of A Realm Reborn's MAIN STORY QUEST. This means everything that has a meteor symbol around an ! mark, including the patch content. You'll know you're done because you'll get hit with an incredibly long cutscene and some MAJOR feels, along with the "Bearer of the Torch" title. There is a logical reason to this, if you follow the story you will eventually understand why you're not allowed into Ishgard yet. You can not participate in ANY Stormblood related content until you have finished all of Heavensward's MAIN STORY QUEST!
VERY IMPORTANT! Those of you wishing to purchase Heavensward/Stormblood with a Steam copy of ARR should remember that you MUST purchase the expansion off of Steam. The SE store and the physical copies will NOT work with your Steam copy.
Owning Heavensward will allow you to play as an Au Ra, the new lizard/dragon like race. I believe this is the ONLY thing from Heavensward that you do not need to clear story mode for. (The 2.0 updates releasing with Heavensward today/tomorrow are not considered Heavensward content) (Owning Stormblood will allow you to unlock Red Mage and Samurai jobs as soon as you finish ARR content, even if you haven't finished Heavensward yet. This is the only content from Stormblood that you do not need to clear Heavensward for.)
http://ffxiv.gamerescape.com/wiki/Guide:Progression_and_Level_Locked_Content
This is a good source of information for levelling up for beginners!
That's all I got off the top of my head. If you have any questions, feel free to ask. If you have any answers, feel free to answer! If you have any cheez-its, feel free to share them because I could really go for some cheez-its right now!
Also, anyone who wants to help new players out can feel free to post their in-game and server in the comments below, and new players, there's already at least one person offering help on Balmung, so if you need help, check the comments. I'm Amelia Vandelle on Behemoth as well, so I don't mind helping people out!
This is FetchMeMyLongsword, signing off! See you in game!
EDIT: Just noticed I've been hotlinked at the top of the page under Useful Information! Thanks! Glad I can help people get started! -Serpent salute-
EDIT: Wow! Thanks to /u/Pydras for the Gold!
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u/roland90 Jun 17 '15 edited Aug 05 '15
Not sure if this is a good place to put this, but I'd be down to help new players out if they need it! I'll be leveling a new job so I'll be around some ARR content anyway:)
Tadeusz Romanov on Hyperion
New players, let me know if you need help!
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u/FetchMeMyLongsword Jun 17 '15
Great place to put it. I'll add in that people can post help offers. :D
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u/Sam_meow Jun 17 '15
I'll add myself on here: if anyone needs help with anything on Siren: send me a tell! I'm always happy to help people out. Look me up:
Lilian Vixen
Hope I can help people enjoy this game and community as much as I have!
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u/neunzehnhundert Jun 18 '15
Don't neglect your real life.
Where can I find this Server?
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u/hungry_skeltal Jun 17 '15
I just started playing 3 or so days ago and I was wondering when an ideal time to level crafting jobs is and what is best to level first? I legit have no clue what I'm doing.
Like is it suggested to level crafting jobs alongside your combat job? Or should I just put it off till later?
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u/Asytra Jun 17 '15
Thank you for posting this!
I'm a returning 1.0 player, officially came back in March to play a NIN. GTAV and Real Life kind of delayed my progress, so I'm now a level 47 NIN trying to finish her main story quest before Friday. I wish I had come back sooner, but the 1.0 burn was pretty severe.
I'm looking forward to Heavensward. Aside from Guild Wars 2, FFXIV has had one of the best MMO communities I've ever encountered.
I'm sorry I don't have any Cheez-Its, but I DO have some pizza rolls! If you'd like a pizza roll just leave me a message on my web-zone!
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u/AnesthesiaCat Jun 17 '15
As far as finishing by friday... the game shuts off tonight (5am EDT) for a 24 hour maintenance.
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u/runmymouth Jun 17 '15
Your 1.0 storyline is reset when you move your character to 2.0. I ended up creating an entirely new character but you can do what you want. I believe you have to do all the content. I might recommend leveling up a 2nd job while you are at it.
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u/UrbanSurgeon Jun 17 '15
Newbie question - How do I become a rogue? When I was choosing my class, it didn't have that option so I'm a bit lost. Decided on Pugilist as I thought this is the closest to it.
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u/Jerae Jun 17 '15
When you get to lv15 main story quests, you'll get to go to the other cities. Once you get to Limsa Lominsa, grab the rogue class from the guild there as you would any other.
You time is not wasted though, as you need lv15 pugilist to unlock the ninja job anyway. So you've done that now.
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u/redundanthero Jun 18 '15
I think I'm level 18 (can't remember what quest level, but I think it's higher than I am) and I haven't been able to go to Limsa Lominsa yet. Tried to get ferry, but that's also down because of maintenance.
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u/Jerae Jun 18 '15
The quest you're looking for is called The Ul'dahn Envoy, lv15.
This quest will tell you to go the other city states to meet their leaders, giving you access to the airship transport between cities to do so. It's a mandatory quest, so it's impossible to miss if you're following the story.
Of course, you can't look now, but there you go.
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u/UrbanSurgeon Jun 17 '15
Thanks! Do I HAVE to become a ninja? in other words, is it still viable to stay as a rogue?
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u/WeaponKnight Jun 17 '15
It isn't. When you equip the Ninja job stone you get all the Ninja abilities on top of your Rogue abilities, plus a very good stat bonus.
Think of Jobs as a nice accessory, not as another class. EXP and levels are also shared so, for example, if you unequip your job stone as a lv50 NIN, you'll be a lv50 ROG (not that you would want that).
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Jun 17 '15
You HAVE to become ninja. Classes (like rogue) are only a stepping stone into becoming one of the jobs (ninja in this case). Ninjas get the defining gameplay mechanics and extra skills that you can't get by staying rogue.
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u/kabelis Jun 17 '15
No. You get more skills and better stats with a job (ninja, in this case). From expansion, they are doing some changes in favor of job rather than class as well.
Be a ninja!
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u/VenuzKhores Jun 17 '15
You will gimp you're self ALOT by staying Rogue. As a ninja you get higher stats and more abilities. Getting your secondary class (you need a secondary class at lvl 15 to unlock the Ninja job) shouldnt take long! Happy hunting. ^
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u/timeboundary Jun 17 '15
By the way--if you ever have more newbie questions, please feel free to ask in the daily megathread! It's stickied at the top of the subreddit.
Sometimes we'll have a different post stickied there. This temporary sticky will still link to the questions megathread. :)
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u/UrbanSurgeon Jun 17 '15
Gotcha! New to the sub (as expected) but i'll divert any more noob questions that way :)
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u/Calorie_Mate Jun 17 '15
Not entirely new to the game, but new to reddit. Having that thread was already very helpful to me.
A daily megathread also seems like a great way to filter out unnecessary cluttering of the board with the same questions.
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u/Kebbysaurus Jun 17 '15
You need to have LV 10 in another combat class so you can ulock the Armory system. Then you can head to Limsa Lominsa to start the ROG quests and unlock it!
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u/Popotuni Jun 17 '15
You know, I saw your comment about the meteor-symbol quest marks for the main questline and I got to thinking. Will there be a new "Heavensward-main-quest" symbol? That would be awesome. Really minor, but awesomely minor.
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u/Tarupron Jun 17 '15
I have a question related to #1, is this a good time to pick up XIV again? My wife and I played up to patch 2.2, maybe 2.21. The reason we had actually quit playing wasn't entirely due to the game itself (although it was there a bit) but also due to the people we were dealing with. Regarding the game portion, there wasn't much left for us to do but sit there and grind dungeons, and bash our faces against T5 over and over again trying to finally beat it.
Has much of this changed? I've done some browsing and I see there have been some additions, but what you read on paper (metaphorically, I didn't print Reddit!) is a lot different than what the player base ends up finding useful to do.
For instance, Good King Moggle Mog was a fun fight to do, but when I was around no one really did it to get the weapons to bridge a gap, they just continued to go after Relic.
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u/Verdian Jun 17 '15
What are each of the new Heavensward classes' level 15 job requirements? Will they even have prestige classes (like lancer to dragoon)?
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u/FetchMeMyLongsword Jun 18 '15
As long as you're able to get to Ishgard, you should be able to take all 3 of the new jobs with no class req's. I'm not 100% on this, but I believe I read it in an official statement.
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u/Deadcellz Jun 17 '15
Can i use a controller in the pc version? or do i have to use third party software?
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u/akaAxi0m Jun 17 '15
How will the priority queues work. If I've completed the main quest and want to queue with my gf who is just starting. Does that mean she won't get priority since she's partied with me or does her priority override the fact I will have completed the main ARR story by then?
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u/woned Jun 18 '15
Can I play the new class/jobs if I buy the expansion even if im not lvl 50 and/or not done with the ARR story?
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u/sohma2501 Jun 18 '15
Thank you very much for this getting a new computer in like a week and a half so I'm going to give ff14 a go and need all the help I can get...looking for a good shard and a great fc that raids but knows how to have fun and will help me to get up to speed....I want to be a Dragoon... One of my favorites classes in final fantasy ever...thanks again
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u/SimInATree Jun 18 '15
I can't be the only new player that isn't going to roll an Au ra. I mean they look really really cool( and I find the males very appealing) but, I can imagine there going to be everywhere for the first few months. :P
Personally I'm more torn towards Elzen or Miqo'te. It's like trying to choose between cake, or more cake. o_O
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Jun 18 '15
should probly add that if you bought base game from steam, you MUST buy HW and all future expac from steam
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u/vorda01 Jun 18 '15
Will the main quest xp buff (and lvl 50 item reward buff?) be implemented tomorrow already?
Or will we have to wait until the full release for that?
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u/FetchMeMyLongsword Jun 18 '15
I'm hearing that it's going to be implemented with the patch today, so it'll start tomorrow. I'll update the main post accordingly.
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u/turbocoupe Jun 17 '15
Holy crap...you read my mind. I was about to post asking the exact question in point #1, but figured I'd search "new player" first. Your post came up, "posted 4 minutes ago". Thanks!