Solo level

[ubogin405]

Hello. I'm a new member with a question.

Is it possible to solo level to 75? I know this is a very group-oriented game as I played it a couple of years ago, but I just want to know if it's possible at all.

[Sabaron]

Re: Solo level

BST can do it. Not sure about everyone else, but XP soloing ability for melees and most mages dips to nearly zero after awhile. Pet jobs fare the best at solo. SMN relies on bombs (self-destructing) mobs to solo once he gets high enough to get free carby, but I don't know if it'll shoot him up to 75. DRG with Healing Breath is quite a sight, but, again, not sure about 75. I'm completely in the dark wrt PUP...

Essentially, if you do try to solo to 75 it will probably be a very...very...long time before you get there--quite a feat, though it would be.

Also...

You will still need friends to break the level caps for you. I doubt very much that even the most experienced 55BST can solo the Boreal NMs for Atop the Highest Mountains level break quest.

You will also not be able to kill the Lich's in The Eldieme Necropolis to get your 50 cap break.

The remaining level cap quests can/must be soloed. You will not be able to get your AF until you're very high level without assistance.

As long as your "soloing" involves only gaining XP and not completing necessary quests or acquiring Rare/Ex items, there's a chance you can do this--as a pet class, namely Beastmaster.

Of course your query begs the question, "Why would you want to be a loner in a game of socialites?"

Even the solitary Beastmaster needs friends sometimes.

[EDIT: Adding again]

Levelling (grinding) can be considered an end unto itself, but the vast majority of the game's content involves Party activities. Levelling is generally a means to an end as well. End-game activites involve party interaction. Therefore, if you level a job only soloing, you will not have attained the same level of sophistication with party play that you will need to perform at your best in storyline content. It is not only encouraged, but almost necessary for you to gain experience in team situations.

[Icemage]

Re: Solo level

Possible? Yes, with some jobs. There's a few jobs that can solo to 75, but in all cases (including BST) it will be extremely time-consuming.

I'm pretty sure the following jobs can solo for XP at all levels (not necessarily efficiently - just that they "can" gain non-zero XP solo if they pick the right targets):

Beastmaster
Puppetmaster
Summoner
Dragoon

Two additional jobs can solo for small amounts of XP after hitting a certain level:
Ninja (37+)
Red Mage (41+)

The rest of the jobs solo ineffectively, or can only do so at certain level ranges (Blue Mage and Black Mage come to mind).

Please note that regardless of how you go about it, you're not going to make the sort of XP solo that you can when in a party, and that just because some jobs can solo Easy Prey or better, it doesn't mean that you're going to make meaningful amounts of XP.


Icemage

[Wise Donkey]

Re: Solo level

As has been said above, it is a possible, but none other than a masochist would try it. Just as you, as a player, get more abilities and HP as you go, so do the monsters you fight for XP. Just in the span of teh pre-party levels 1-10, which are always solo'd, you can see the difficulty in a Decent Challenge fight grow considerably. I think it is possible for all melee jobs to solo XP, but at 15 XP per fight with a full rest between each fight... like I said before, masochist.

Also, you will never reach your full potential fighting nothing but Easy Prey solo. You can only cap out your Combat/Magic Skills against Even Match, and most easily against the staple XP Party targets that are Very Tough/Incredibly Tough.

The benefits though: Beastmen/Kindred Seals coming out of your ears. Sole claim to all drops, you could possibly gain XP off of good farming mobs, so easy gil. Never have to sit LFP.

[neighbortaru]

Re: Solo level

just want to add another point that others haven't covered yet.

it is not possible to solo completely (regardless of job) to 75. the limit break quests at 50, 55, 60, 65 and 70 are virtually impossible to solo. without clearing these, you can't advance any more in levels.

[Icemage]

Re: Solo level

Small correction: The limit break quests to reach 70 (run around and find NPCs in towns) and 75 (defeat Maat) are solo ventures, and it's possible - though extremely difficult - to solo the one for 65 (touch specific spots in Monastic Cavern, Castle Oztroja, and Beaudeaux).

It's the limit breaks to reach 55 (bomb coal, ancient papyrus, exoray mold) and 60 (defeat 3 NMs in Xarcabard) that require outside help.

The point still stands about trying to level up solo being extremely unproductive, though.


Icemage

[Taskmage]

Re: Solo level

Wiseman40 wrote this guide on soloing in FFXI a while back: http://squarefront.com/ffxisologuide.html. It covers which jobs can solo all the way to 75, which jobs can solo for a portion of their lives and what level ranges they can do it in, general strategies, etc.

It does not include the new Aht Urghan jobs. Pup and blu are both extremely good soloers up to level 30 or so, at which point their power tapers off.

[neighbortaru]

Re: Solo level

Small correction: The limit break quests to reach 70 (run around and find NPCs in towns) and 75 (defeat Maat) are solo ventures

oops, you're right. my bad

[Sabaron]

Re: Solo level

just want to add another point that others haven't covered yet.

it is not possible to solo completely (regardless of job) to 75. the limit break quests at 50, 55, 60, 65 and 70 are virtually impossible to solo. without clearing these, you can't advance any more in levels.

I soloed Whence Blows the Wind (60cap) and Riding on Clouds (65cap). I even guessed correctly 3 of the people I needed to talk to. An LS mate correctly guessed the "Left Out" girl for the S.O.B.s (who I incidentally always leave out and therefore didn't recall), but there are guides everywhere for that one.

Soloing Whence was kind of exciting--I'm, of course, a Red Mage and I have a Skulker's Cape and I would consider myself to be extremely sneaky. I died in Castle O to a triple aggro while I was (foolishly) trying to go back down through the castle to reacquire the passwords (which takes much longer than guessing if you have a list which I did). So basically, I only died due to stupidity. I even Raised two hapless souls who got eaten by orcs in the Monastic Cavern and killed an NM in Beadeaux for a Parrying Knife. With respect to the Torch Door in Castle O, you will need help, luck, or patience (or some combination thereof) to do this. My luck came first in the form of people who had already entered the door who opened it for me (but didn't tell me I was an idiot when I ran back out to get the passwords) and second in the form of a small contingent of Windurstians who were looking for a Judgment Key. I just lit the torch in the room they had just cleared and ran for the door.

I would also note that I got my Cursed Orb at around level 40, solo... so that, though difficult, can also be done.

You will need to become one with The Sneakiness.

[Taskmage]

Re: Solo level

The thing about guessing the passwords is after so many tries it'll lock you out.

I leveled thf to 25 specifically for the torch door so I could hit the torch, invis myself, and then flee to the door, but I ended up not needing to since there were already a couple people there skilling up/key hunting. I ended up getting taking out by the High Priest, but the joke's on him. I home pointed with his crest. ;p

The Davoi leg isn't that bad, but I did die once from dropping my invis at the wrong time to trade my finished orb.

[Ameroth]

Re: Solo level

I was talkin last night with a BST (whom wsa kind enough to be the only person in Lower Jeuno who wanted to help me get the Papyrus for G1) while we were in eldieme. He told me he solo'd BST to 75 (with the exception of the help needed for limit breaks). Amazed, I asked him how long that took him, which he told me it had taken him a year to solo BST all the way up.

So, though it can be done, be prepared to spend a LOT of time and frustrating nights gaining 500xp only to get a VT aggro, die, and lose it all.

Good luck if you decide to try it.

[Sabaron]

Re: Solo level

Since most BSTs solo with WHM sub, after 66th level they get Reraise which, in combination with a Noble's Bed will get you a 38% loss instead of a 100% loss which is practically necessary for high-level BST soloing. Before that, you have Reraise Earring at 30th (it may behoove you to level Goldsmithing and make your own). Reraise Gorget [Bonecraft] at 56th with it's Reraise II is a hot buy as well since, at least on Asura, it costs about the same price as the earring and is a far nicer piece of gear even fully discharged.

[Taskmage]

Re: Solo level

It's my understanding that Moghancement: Experience from beds only reduces the exp loss from deaths when you home point, and only by 12%. It does not increase the experience restored by Raise or Reraise. Also, Raise was recently changed to restore 50% of lost experience instead of the old 25%. This should apply to Reraise as well.

[Sabaron]

Re: Solo level

I'll have to run a check on my XP loss the next time I die, but I'm pretty sure my Noble's bed takes 25% off the top when I die regardless of raise. Therefore you get 38% taken (62% recovery) when you have both, but I'll try to check next time I die. Yes, Reraise does give the full new 50% return when activated.

[Taskmage]

Re: Solo level

I misunderstood when you said "38% loss"