help a n00b out please!!!!

[Hamlet]

Re: help a n00b out please!!!!

The answer is in this thread. Go with Drg/bard. It has a wyvern, but it's not really a pet class in that you depend on the wyvern (well you do, but not as much as bst or pup).

The thing about ffxi is you're probably going to want to pt at some point in your playing career. Even bst would be best served pting while lvling their whm sub.

[Murphie]

Re: help a n00b out please!!!!

DRG is the easist "pet class" to deal with, because you don't actually control your pet (although I wish you could). It just attacks when you attack, and rests when you rest. No big deal.

So if you want to solo but don't want NIN or BST or a pet class, DRG/Mage or DRG/BRD are your best bets.

[Ellipses]

Re: help a n00b out please!!!!

While I do love me some DRG/BRD, and would encourage it, there is a bit of a caveat. You'd have to get BRD to 37, which means getting a job (probably WHM) to 30. Probably the path of least resistance would be WHM to 18, get subjob, BLM/WHM to 15, WHM/BLM to 30, unlock BRD and DRG, BRD/WHM to 37, DRG/WHM to 20-25, then DRG/BRD the rest of the way. Leveling WHM and BRD that far would be a little difficult all solo (and there's no way you're unlocking DRG at 30 on your own).

Of course, you face that sort of situation with nearly any other job combo, too. BLM/RDM is just about the only combo I can think of where you could realistically solo both your main job and your subjob relatively well.

While RDM/PLD would suck pretty hard, I've heard of people having moderate success with PLD/RDM. Probably vs. undead, but they didn't say or I don't remember (functionally equivalent).

[Icemage]

Re: help a n00b out please!!!!

All the suggestions are great, but... no job solo's well for XP, not even Beastmaster, which is the best of the bunch at it. Multi-BST parties will still out-perform a solo BST by a wide margin.

If you don't like partying for XP, be prepared for a long, long grind to level 75 (I'm talking years on any job except BST, and at least many months on BST).

If you're primarily interested in solo experiences, why are you even playing MMORPGs? Go pick up a copy of a console Final Fantasy game and feed the need that way... or as suggested above, go play WoW, where it IS possible to solo to max level (60).


Icemage

[samarium]

Re: help a n00b out please!!!!

This is, unfortunately, primarily a party game. It is possible to solo, however slowly, but definitely possible. EXP is doled out in such tiny chunks that it takes hours to gain a single level in a GOOD party, much less solo. BST can do it because they're all f*cking nuts.

It seems like DRG/BRD is what you're looking for. With this job, MP is no worry and you can plug away at whatever you fight basically endlessly, and you can even keep a minor defense buff or whatever on yourself. Just make sure to carry status cures.

And keep clear of mobs with damaging AoE attacks. Dead wyvern = dead DRG.

You're basically stuck with a pet job (demi-pet, in DRG's case) if you want to gain any kind of respectable exp without either incurring major monetary expense or massive downtime. BST let their pets tank, SMN wear them down one Carbuncle at a time (with the right setup, no MP is lost, but it's not easy to achieve...), and DRG have portable healers with infinite MP.

Whatever you decide to do, have fun with it!

-sam

[Asir]

Re: help a n00b out please!!!!

One option that was left out that you might consider is finding a friend or two to duo or trio with. On Ramuh, these types of parties are starting to be seen more often in the various levels and can be quite fun. The key is finding two or three jobs that would compliment each other well and sticking to Ts and low VTs. You can get decent experience this way if you look up the type of mobs you'll be fighting to see what kind of weapons they are weak to as well as elements if you have a mage with you.

[Omni]

Re: help a n00b out please!!!!

we get one of these every once in a while. there's always someone out there that gets the idea that they can force their will upon ffxi. that, just b/c everyone says you cant solo im going to go out there and prove that i can!

heres the break down. say our lvl. 64. to get to lv. 65, you need to earn 24,500 XP. Killing an EP (which btw, isnt Easy Prey, since most EP can kill most jobs if you arent careful) will yield you ~30-40 XP w/o Empress band on. that comes out to be roughly 610 mobs you need to kill. Taking a down an EP with a non solo friendly job will average you around 3-4 minutes + downtime to regen/refresh it ends up being around 6-7 minutes or so. That equals about 70+ hours of only XPing to get from lv. 64 to 65. That's only for that level. Now, it only gets worse from there. 70+ is ~40,000 a level. Then theres also the 64 lvls before that.

This game is not designed for solo play. it really isnt. Theres a few solo aspects in the game but nearly every part of this game is designed for you to band together with other adventurers. If you still think you'll find some secret way to beat the design of this game, please let me know when you do, I'd love to hear about it as i'm lvling bst and even a job that is more geared towards solo, is a pain in the ass.

[samarium]

Re: help a n00b out please!!!!

we get one of these every once in a while. there's always someone out there that gets the idea that they can force their will upon ffxi. that, just b/c everyone says you cant solo im going to go out there and prove that i can!

heres the break down. say our lvl. 64. to get to lv. 65, you need to earn 24,500 XP. Killing an EP (which btw, isnt Easy Prey, since most EP can kill most jobs if you arent careful) will yield you ~30-40 XP w/o Empress band on. that comes out to be roughly 610 mobs you need to kill. Taking a down an EP with a non solo friendly job will average you around 3-4 minutes + downtime to regen/refresh it ends up being around 6-7 minutes or so. That equals about 70+ hours of only XPing to get from lv. 64 to 65. That's only for that level. Now, it only gets worse from there. 70+ is ~40,000 a level. Then theres also the 64 lvls before that.

This game is not designed for solo play. it really isnt. Theres a few solo aspects in the game but nearly every part of this game is designed for you to band together with other adventurers. If you still think you'll find some secret way to beat the design of this game, please let me know when you do, I'd love to hear about it as i'm lvling bst and even a job that is more geared towards solo, is a pain in the ass.

Doesn't seem like a reason to talk down to the guy.

The aim of the game isn't to get to level 75 post haste - it's to enjoy the trip. I'm afraid if your sole concern is gaining at least xxxx exp per hour you've kinda missed the point -- however, if that's what floats your boat, then float on.

I'm doing BST too, when I'm not staticking with my whm, and I'm having more fun just walking the line of hate during the actual fights than I am getting The Next Level (although 35 WILL be a blessing).

-sam

[Omni]

Re: help a n00b out please!!!!

I wasnt talking down. I was being realistic. Is what I said not realistic?

I made no mention of XP/hr in my post as you are implying. I was merely giving a average timeline on what he should expect in leveling that 1 level. Its not a race, I think as a fellow bst you would understand that I know that. I was only merely laying out how insanely difficult it would be to reach 1 lvl by killing EP on an non xp friendly job. I think people who havent played enough of the game yet dont understand how long some levels can be even when you are xping in parties. Let alone, xping off EP's solo.

I dont think its fair to give someone the sense that they can solo their xp with a job when you and I know its not really viable.

Yea, it is to enjoy the trip. I totally and wholeheartedly agree with you. Tell me how much joy will anyone get soloing EP for xp? There comes a point when you wont be able to grasp the fact that your last 3 hours of playing have made little to no dent in your tnl. In addition, any time you take to do other things, takes away from your time to progress in your job. So basically you're at a perpetual stand still for most of the time you are logged on. It becomes frustrating when you dont make progress after putting in hours of work into something. It doesnt do well with your morale.

My post may have come out blunt but I think its just a truth people need to accept. Solo`ing XP in ffxi is just not meant to be (minus bst).

taru edit: spelling and clarity

[CHAOBLACKDOOM]

Re: help a n00b out please!!!!

actually, I've talked to a few people in this thread, and he suggested RDM/SMN for my Hume [RDM43/SMN20 atm]. I've already got the levels for the most part, and as someone said here, I could get 1-2 friends and form a small party that won't take 5 hours to find. That seems like my best option, and although I dislike ordering my avatars around, and them constantly draining my MP, the RDM ablity to cycle HP for MP and fast casting ablities make it a suitable choice... anyone else agree?

[sevenpointflaw]

Re: help a n00b out please!!!!

avatars would likely be too weak to be incredibly useful, but someone with more knowledge of /smn than I have could probably offer more info.

[Murphie]

Re: help a n00b out please!!!!

I remember when RDM/SMN was like, all the rage with RDM who weren't quite sure what to do for a sub. One of my good friends was going to do it. I left the game to go play WoW for a few months, and when I came back he was a 75 THF, so I guess he gave up on that dream.

[samarium]

Re: help a n00b out please!!!!

I wasnt talking down. I was being realistic. Is what I said not realistic?

I made no mention of XP/hr in my post as you are implying. I was merely giving a average timeline on what he should expect in leveling that 1 level. Its not a race, I think as a fellow bst you would understand that I know that. I was only merely laying out how insanely difficult it would be to reach 1 lvl by killing EP on an non xp friendly job. I think people who havent played enough of the game yet dont understand how long some levels can be even when you are xping in parties. Let alone, xping off EP's solo.

I dont think its fair to give someone the sense that they can solo their xp with a job when you and I know its not really viable.

Yea, it is to enjoy the trip. I totally and wholeheartedly agree with you. Tell me how much joy will anyone get soloing EP for xp? There comes a point when you wont be able to grasp the fact that your last 3 hours of playing have made little to no dent in your tnl. In addition, any time you take to do other things, takes away from your time to progress in your job. So basically you're at a perpetual stand still for most of the time you are logged on. It becomes frustrating when you dont make progress after putting in hours of work into something. It doesnt do well with your morale.

My post may have come out blunt but I think its just a truth people need to accept. Solo`ing XP in ffxi is just not meant to be (minus bst).

taru edit: spelling and clarity

OK, OK, no reason to pull out the bold text. You just came across a little insulting, accusing him of being a megalomaniac ("force their will upon ffxi") while being condescending at the same time ("we get one of these every once in a while").

I dun wanna get into a flame war with you, really I don't, but the guy came here for soloing tips, not a list of reasons why he shouldn't try it.

-sam

[avhmia]

Re: help a n00b out please!!!!

I remember when RDM/SMN was like, all the rage with RDM who weren't quite sure what to do for a sub. One of my good friends was going to do it. I left the game to go play WoW for a few months, and when I came back he was a 75 THF, so I guess he gave up on that dream.

I could see where the Auto-Refresh and Max MP Boost traits might be useful. I suppose one could use that larger MP pool to get more punch out of Convert, plus a 4mp/tick refresh. Then again, there are just so many more benefits to subbing BLM, WHM, or NIN.

[CHAOBLACKDOOM]

Re: help a n00b out please!!!!

I just dislike having to buy tools JUST so your spells work. And I hate relying on pets.. thats my rationale. its not so much having to find a party, its just the HUGE wait time and noobs that infest our worlds.

I still have no clue on what to be... if anyone can find just a reasonablely good soloer with my specs in mind, lemme know. I'd like to keep the costs down if possible.

I'll be playing SSBM in the mean time ^^