Newbie Question Extravaganza

[Haroldo]

Greetings. I just ordered Vana'diel Collection 2008 for Windows this week (it will probably take almost a month to arrive) and have been lurking this board for some time. I still have some doubts though.

Loot/Drop
How does that work on FF XI exactly? I know that only Beastmen drop Gil but does it fall on the ground and you have to "pick it up" or it goes directly to your inventory? If that's the case how does that work when you're on a party? Itens are randomly distributed among party members? Also, more a etiquette concern: since this is a game where you level several different jobs, it's wrong for let's say a Black Mage to keep a dropped sword when there are Warriors and Paladins in your Party?

System Requirements
I'm not a PC gamer and only have two low-end laptops (a 3 year old Dell Latitude 110L and a Asus Eee PC 4G). I tried the FF Benchmark 3 on the Dell notebook and it's supposed run the game. Also, I have crappy dial-up (ranging from 44k to 19k, depending on days and hours). Any setting recommendation? Considering that none have full keyboards (all with Fn keys, but they suck). I'm considering a usb adapater for my Dual Shock 2 Controller also.

World?
What do you people think of Valefor and Phoenix? I'm considering the first for the economy but I tempted to choose Phoenix for the small Brazilian community. And yeah, I know, annoying recurring question. Nevertheless, any 2 cents?

Sorry for the long post and the poor english.

[Ameroth]

Re: Newbie Question Extravaganza

Beastmen drop Gil but does it fall on the ground and you have to "pick it up" or it goes directly to your inventory

When a mob drops gil, it's automatically divided equally and distributed among party members.

Itens are randomly distributed among party members?

When items drop from a mob, if you're in a party, under normal circumstances they go into a treasure pool where members can "lot" (aka roll a dice) on the items, or just let the items randomly drop to a party member. In most parties, it's considered rude to lot on any items unless you ask specifically. Other times, like when you need the 3 items for your subjob, most people will pass the item and/or let you lot on it. And no, it wouldn't be considered rude for a BLM to keep a sword that dropped onto him. If no one lots or asks to lot an item, after a certain period of time the game randomly gives it to someone and it's fair and square.

In other situations, the party leader may have the treasure system set to "Quartermaster" which would mean all treasure automatically goes to that one person, and they can then divide it how they want. The downfall to this, obviously, is some items are 'exclusive' which means they cannot be traded, bazaar'ed, or sold on auction; so the quartermaster will automatically receive all those items, items like beastmen seals which are used to enter certain battlefields which usually drop rare or otherwise sought after items.

If you're solo, all items will automatically fall onto you until your inventory is full. After reaching maximum inventory, items that drop will fall into a treasure pool (like if you were in a party) and stay there until you free up space, pass it or let them fall. In the latter option(s), you lose the item forever.

System Requirements

FFXI is not at all graphically demanding. Most, if not all, laptops these days will run it ok. But as any PC gamer will tell you, min requirements are a different game than recommended requirements. For the most part, the game will run fine even on low-end machines.

World?

All worlds (servers) are more or less the same. Some servers like Odin or Asura (i think) are pretty heavily populated. It might seem like 'the more the merrier,' but take into account the more people on during peak times means more people taking traditional exp camps and more people farming in an area you may be farming in.

[Omgwtfbbqkitten]

Re: Newbie Question Extravaganza

Loot/Drop
How does that work on FF XI exactly? I know that only Beastmen drop Gil but does it fall on the ground and you have to "pick it up" or it goes directly to your inventory? If that's the case how does that work when you're on a party? Itens are randomly distributed among party members? Also, more a etiquette concern: since this is a game where you level several different jobs, it's wrong for let's say a Black Mage to keep a dropped sword when there are Warriors and Paladins in your Party?

Well, unlike some MMOs, the rank-and-file mobs of FFXI aren't going to drop anything of extreme value. Only Notorious monsters will do that and encounters with them in EXP PTs are extremely rare.

When it does happen, its courteous to observe "need-before-greed" and let people who have the job of the appropriate level requirements (or close to it) have the item. But don't expect everyone to observe this courtesy in FFXI, in the general party experience, people are just plain greedy. If you go hunting NMs with friends, its common courtesy to discuss the terms of loot before you set out to hunt the monster in question.

[Susurrus]

Re: Newbie Question Extravaganza

The downfall to this, obviously, is some items are 'exclusive' which means they cannot be traded, bazaar'ed, or sold on auction; so the quartermaster will automatically receive all those items,

Even during Quartermaster, EX items stay in the treasure pool.

[Ameroth]

Re: Newbie Question Extravaganza

If that's true, I stand corrected. Guess I never noticed.

[Nuriko]

Re: Newbie Question Extravaganza

I seem to recall that under QM, you can take what you like, then anything you pass (I don't know if it's time-limited too, probably, but not sure which happens) drops to the "general" pool. I happened to be killing some bees for drops while waiting for somebody, and the other in-zone PT member didn't want them...

[LadyKiKi]

Re: Newbie Question Extravaganza

Even during Quartermaster, EX items stay in the treasure pool.

Really ... ?



I believe they will drop to you no matter what, unless you already have said item...

[Ellipses]

Re: Newbie Question Extravaganza

Also, more a etiquette concern: since this is a game where you level several different jobs, it's wrong for let's say a Black Mage to keep a dropped sword when there are Warriors and Paladins in your Party?

The system has been explained already, but I'm going to add my two cents on etiquette to inflate my post count by one.

The general, every day etiquette for loot in XP parties is to simply not touch anything and let everything fall randomly. If you need items for a quest, ask the party before you cast lots on them. If possible, ask when the party is forming instead of waiting until the item drops.

You will hardly ever find drops on an XP mob where need-before-greed even comes into play. Maybe crafting materials if you're crafting, but even then, most people don't try to lot on those; if you need them that badly you'll be farming for them anyway, and you don't really "need" to craft them anymore than the rest of the party "needs" to sell them. The gear and spells that will drop will generally be so far beneath your current level that even someone of an appropriate class will just be selling them anyway.

In any situation where there's a chance something of actual use might drop, you'll almost certainly know about it ahead of time. Chances are that'll be the reason you've all gathered there that day. Which means you'll have plenty of time to discuss what to do with the loot in question long before it falls into the treasure pool.

[KingOfZeal]

Re: Newbie Question Extravaganza

Even during Quartermaster, EX items stay in the treasure pool.

I'm almost certain this isn't the case. I've helped out a number of lower level friends get things, like subjob items. When I do, I set them as QM, and it always drops directly to them.

I demand pictures or other documented proof or it doesn't happen.

According to Quartermaster - FFXIclopedia - a Wikia Gaming wiki :

Conditions under which an item will not be placed directly in the Quartermaster's inventory include:

* The item is Rare and the player designated as Quartermaster already has another of the same item in their Inventory, Mog Safe, Storage or Mog Locker.

[Haroldo]

Re: Newbie Question Extravaganza

When items drop from a mob, if you're in a party, under normal circumstances they go into a treasure pool where members can "lot" (aka roll a dice) on the items, or just let the items randomly drop to a party member(...) If no one lots or asks to lot an item, after a certain period of time the game randomly gives it to someone and it's fair and square.

Nice, nice system.

But as any PC gamer will tell you, min requirements are a different game than recommended requirements. For the most part, the game will run fine even on low-end machines.

Yeah, but I'll have to deal with that for a while. I was saving for an iMac this winter but then global economy went mad cow mad and it's hardly the time to import a costy computer.

Well, unlike some MMOs, the rank-and-file mobs of FFXI aren't going to drop anything of extreme value. Only Notorious monsters will do that and encounters with them in EXP PTs are extremely rare.

I was starting to get this impression from other discussions. Great decision, I think.

When it does happen, its courteous to observe "need-before-greed" and let people who have the job of the appropriate level requirements (or close to it) have the item(...) If you go hunting NMs with friends, its common courtesy to discuss the terms of loot before you set out to hunt the monster in question.

Thanks, I'll keep that in mind.

The general, every day etiquette for loot in XP parties is to simply not touch anything and let everything fall randomly. If you need items for a quest, ask the party before you cast lots on them. If possible, ask when the party is forming instead of waiting until the item drops.

I'll do that, thanks. I'm not usually greedy I'm more worried of being taken a vantage.

You will hardly ever find drops on an XP mob where need-before-greed even comes into play. Maybe crafting materials if you're crafting, but even then, most people don't try to lot on those.

That reminds me: when it's a good time to start a craft of something like that? I was interested in mining and or cooking.

And another question, a rather subjective one: is 300 hours of leveling enough to get a Character to level 75 in at least 2 jobs, both full merited?

[Ellipses]

Re: Newbie Question Extravaganza

That reminds me: when it's a good time to start a craft of something like that? I was interested in mining and or cooking.

Harvesting, excavating, logging, and mining aren't really crafts in FFXI. There's no mining skill level, no mining guild, etc. You can start them almost immediately (though which one depends on which city you start in). There's a mine-able area (Zeruhn Mines) right off of Bastok, for example. The only real considerations here are affording the tools and being high level enough to survive where you're doing it. There's only one monster in Zeruhn Mines that aggros, and you can easily avoid it until you're high enough to kill it without problems.

You can start crafting anytime, too, but I wouldn't recommend it until you have at least your chocobo license (level 20). Crafting takes a lot of research for the recipes and ingredients and such, and unless you have mules in every city, it's going to involve travel to get to shops with the best prices on ingredients, the guilds themselves, etc. Cooking is one of the cheaper crafts to get going, though.

[KingOfZeal]

Re: Newbie Question Extravaganza

300 hours for 2 75s? Hell... my total playtime right now is over a year, and I only have one 75, and I don't have a single merit point to my name.

If you are able to land a very nice static party, and/or focus exclusively on xping on an in-demand job (Bard and Red Mage spring to mind), and don't bother with things like missions (aka Storyline), unnecessary quests (aka More Storyline), crafting (aka Making Money), or general interaction outside of a party, you *might* (and I do stress might) be able to pull it off.

I also want to do some quick math:

300 hours * 20k/hr (optimistic) = 6000k = 6 mil XP.

According to Experience 837,550 from level 1->75. Two jobs means 1,675,100 XP.

10,000 XP = 1 Merit Point, 101 Merit Points = Fully Merited on one job, 20 Merit Points each additional job, 121 total.

121 Merit Points * 10k XP = 1,210,000 XP
1,210,000 XP + 1,675,100 XP = 2,885,100 XP.

In actuality, after seeking and no-so-great parties, you can probably expect 10-12k per hour xping (possibly less, depending on other factors), which nets at minimum 3 mil XP.

So technically, yes you could. But the chances of it, IMO, are still slim.

[Haroldo]

Re: Newbie Question Extravaganza

Actually, by "300 hours of leveling" I meant time exclusively dedicated to leveling in say "an average party", if there is such thing. I'm not taking time spent on: looking for party; farming quests; missions; trading; chatting; LS events; helping people out; camping for notorius monsters; whatever cool named end-game activity into account. I should have made that clear in my last post, sorry. But your math demonstration already explained it, nevertheless. Thanks.

[Aksannyi]

Re: Newbie Question Extravaganza

Really ... ?



I believe they will drop to you no matter what, unless you already have said item...

I lol'ed at the guy who got killed by the Darter.

I have little to actually contribute here, but I'll at least put my two cents in about the gamepad: get one. If you are used to playing computer games where you do everything with the keyboard, you'd probably be okay, but for someone (like me) who is a console gaming transfer, the gamepad really REALLY helps a lot. I've been playing on my laptop a lot more lately, and I'd say that using the controller is a lot easier than messing with the FN keys, since half the time I don't know where the hell the one I want is and I have to spend 10 minutes looking for it.

[Haroldo]

Re: Newbie Question Extravaganza

Well, here I am again with a new batch of questions whose answers I could not find on old thread and to get some opinion. I'm finishing updating the game (still near 340 itens download) and hopefully I'll login and create my character tonight.

Leveling all jobs
I'm considering leveling all 6 intial jobs to level 10-12 before leaving to the Dunes. I assume that would give me flexibility to farm and change support jobs when I unlock them. I assume that would help me understand how the game works a little better before annoying potential party members. Am I on the wrong path or should I do this?

Disable Windows/Home key
There's a link to a tutorial in this old thred but it's broken. How does one disable that?

Starting at Bastok
I will create a Galka to start in Bastok. How good/bad is the bonus ring? Any tips on spots to get exp or farm nearby? How long does Signet lasts? Any other newbie-friendly money-rewarding activity that I should take?

Any other tip?
In case I forgot about something important.