answer needed pls.

[minervafureiy]

Hi.
I was thinking to start playing final fantasy 11.
But a friend of mine said you need to group for like everything in this game, you cant solo your way up to the highest lvl, is that true?
thx for your help

[Wise Donkey]

Re: answer needed pls.

Yes and no. There are a couple classes that can be soloed all the way to 75, but they are advanced classes, and you need to level other jobs before you can get to them, which will require partying with others. The storyline of the game can be soloed very early on, but you will need help to get past the Rank 2-3 Mission.

The game is really designed to be a social, grouping game. If that is not your style, I would not recommend FFXI.

[minervafureiy]

Re: answer needed pls.

thanks for your answer.
And ofc its a social game its an mmo But i dont wanna feel that i have to get a group to be able to make it to 75, the friend i was talking about spent alot of time just to get a group so.

[Necropolis]

Re: answer needed pls.

The game is very group oriented, especially the higher you are usually.

And not only is leveling a group activity, so many of the quest/missions and pretty much all of endgame.

Classes capable of soloing would be bst, pup, drg, smn, and then at higher levels rdm and blm can do fairly well soloing.

Most partying is done in a group of 6, but with the new changes to signet, you now get an exp bonus for smaller groups. Perhaps duo/trio-ing for exp would suit your play styles better.

This game is certainly nothing like WoW in a aspect that you can't solo for experience easily in most cases. But there are plenty of things to do while waiting for a party as well, such as crafting, chocobo digging, mining/harvesting/logging, and varies quest around towns. Of course farming for items to sell for gil can be done while looking for a party. So you are never without something to do really.

It's a great, enjoyable game, and despite your dependence on others to level I think it's time well spent. As for hitting 75, it takes a while, especially for your first job there. I leveled fairly quickly to 75 in about 4 months. It can be done quicker, but you need time to get money/equipment too if you don't already have a higher level job available to obtain gil/items.

[Yeargdribble]

Re: answer needed pls.

I hate to be the voice of cynicism, but I see these threads fairly often and people try to suggest that there is any reasonable way to play this game without need for a group. You cannot.

BST is the only job that can solo efficiently. DRG doesn't get really good at soloing until about 60. SMN can't solo well enough at most levels to make up for the downtime. You'll still have to level subs which you'll absolutely need a PT for on most of these jobs (though some people do WHM/BST to level sub for BST).


You'll never be able to do much of the story line. You won't be able to do missions. You'll be unable to get all of your Artifact Armor.

This game absolutely requires grouping for damn near everything. Unless you just enjoy intense grinding this is not the game for you. Even if you could level solo completely, it would be very very unpleasant to do so.

[Mhurron]

Re: answer needed pls.

Ya, if you are so set against partying, then MMO's and FFXI in particular probably aren't your thing.

You will have to party to get EXP. You will have to party to do Missions. You will have to party to do some quests.

You will have to party.

[LyonheartLakshmi]

Re: answer needed pls.

And even as BST, you'd hit a very hard wall at level 55 with G2. It's quite conceivable for someone with a lot of patience to solo to level 30 (especially now with the signet bonuses), unlock BST, solo all the subjob items, and even solo G1 (I've read about some BSTs doing this).

I just don't see any job being able to solo G2. Was the original level cap for this game 60? I still have a hard time imagining what the pioneering players in this game had to go through to do G2 before they had level 75 friends to help them.

[Sasaki]

Re: answer needed pls.

Just wanting to speak up for a minority of people, of which I am a member.

Unless you just enjoy intense grinding this is not the game for you.

Or you can deeply enjoy the game and never grind. It just takes longer to reach level 75. For example my two highest jobs are 42 and 34, and I've played for over two years, but I've always had fun with it. I just don't see the point in rushing.

I say play the game the way you want to play the game. But keep in mind that Final Fantasy XI was designed to support partying 95% of the time, and if that will discourage you from playing, perhaps a more individual-oriented game is more worth your time and money.

[Feba]

Re: answer needed pls.

The original level cap was 50. Everything after G1 was added with ROTZ.

In fact, the entire of the FFXI missions (1-1 - Rank 5) were intended to be completed by players under 50. Yes, imagine beating SL with a lv50 party instead of a lv55+ PT, or as most of us, a lv75 PT with a leech or two.

[Malacite]

Re: answer needed pls.

Don't let partying discourage you; this game is great and despite it's "Dated Looks" (I personally find it' to be one of the most artistic games out there for it's age) it has a lot to offer, good times and bad heh.


Besides, what's the point of playing an online game solo anyway? Defeats the whole purpose if you ask me. Yeah, I do wish some things were easier to solo, but oh well such is the way of things. FF XI will give you a good run for your money, and you're sure to make some good friends along the way ^^b


Otherwise, you're probably better off joining the majority of laid back ppl who play WoW. (Note: I"m not bashing the game, but WoW is waaaaay more lax/casual)

[Murphie]

Re: answer needed pls.

Besides, what's the point of playing an online game solo anyway? Defeats the whole purpose if you ask me.

This isn't an attempt to single you out here, Malacite, but I see this kind of reasoning tossed around a lot, and it's always kind of bothered me.

Even if you never join an EXP party in an MMO, you are still not playing solo. You interact with other people in so many different ways in an MMORPG, and partying is just one of them. People who don't want to level up with other people aren't "playing an MMO solo", they are just getting exp by themselves.

[Kholdstare]

Re: answer needed pls.

Pretty much what everyone said is true. It's possible to solo and party with less than 6, but parties of 6 are usually the most efficient.

That being said, seeing as you will be new and of a lower level, expect to have difficulty leveling. Nowadays, like 3/4 of the game's population are off doing endgame stuff, and people leveling early on are usually only going from 1-37 for a subjob.

Basically, once you pass 37 or so, good luck.

[Vyuru]

Re: answer needed pls.

Yes, imagine beating SL with a lv50 party instead of a lv55+ PT, or as most of us, a lv75 PT with a leech or two.

Keep in mind that after the level cap was upped Shadow Lord got beefed up to make it harder for the higher level players to beat him.

[Murphie]

Re: answer needed pls.

I fought the Shadow Lord in a duo. He was pretty tough.

Ok, that's a lie. The tough part, not the duo part.

[Hyrist]

Re: answer needed pls.

Ok...

Dispite Yearg's disclaimer, I will have to say this.

Soloing in this game has gotten progressively easier since the NA release.

You CAN solo feasibly to level 30, provided you know the right camps, and don't try to tackle anything above decent challenge ,or at occasion, even match. Signet now allows for Evasion and Defense bonuses, as well as other interesting things that assist your exp gaining over-all.

At level 40 you have the ability to summon an NPC to assist you, which will show up in many areas.

ToAU (expansion) areas allow for endgame players to solo for merits.

However, FFXI is a social game as it's standing. There will be many missions and events that you simply cannot and should not do alone. That is an inevitability for all MMOs in general.

However, while more difficult and slower, the days of saying "You can't solo for exp." in this game are resoundingly over. It's much slower than partying, but it can be done.