I've been asked to make an online guide...

[Legal Fish]

Re: I've been asked to make an online guide...

I have begun working on it now. I think I'll make a thread to show my progress. People can add comments to when I'm done.

[Legal Fish]

Re: I've been asked to make an online guide...

Oh, I just remember something... nearly a year ago, I wrote a guide for FFXI for new Xbox360 players(not much info on playing on the Xbox360, it's mostly about playing in general) on the Official Xbox Forums. It's messy and all that, but huge. I wrote it in one-stting(jesus christ, what a way spend time) and you can't go back and edit it. It's somewhat outdated by now.

http://forums.xbox.com/1/2231193/ShowPost.aspx#2231193

[Amele]

Re: I've been asked to make an online guide...

another thing to go over in the cross-lingual party dynamics might be common auto-translate shorthands:

{fishing} = pulling
{Shield} = tank

etc. also some of the common mistakes, like that {Pull Back} means literally: "Pull Back" and not "bring something back to camp".

[Legal Fish]

Re: I've been asked to make an online guide...

No comments on my huge guide?

[Vyuru]

Re: I've been asked to make an online guide...

No comments on my huge guide?

Well, unless I'm missing it somewhere, so far all I see is the outline for your guide, which looks more or less the same as the outline you came up with when you asked us to help you make a guide.

[Legal Fish]

Re: I've been asked to make an online guide...

I meant the link I posted to the Xbox forums... alright I guess I'll just post it here. This won't be the guide I'm making, but it's what I've done in the past. It's quite big... so I'm splitting it up in more than one post. (Don't mind the spelling errors, I did this all in one sitting and you can't edit your posts in the forum I posted it in).

[spoiler]
I decided to let my FFXI Information Thread die, because it was messy and such. I really, really, really suggest this is pinned/stickied/whatever. It will contain information; a lot of information. More information, that any of the current stickies.

"Where do I get a chocobo?"
"Where do I get a subjob"
"What subjob should I use?"
"Where do I go after [insert zone here]"
ect...ect... will all be answered in this thread. So instead of making another thread, just find it here. I will try to cover every aspect a beginner would want to know and hint at things you should do as you play the game. Notice I don't like the idea of just giving someone every exact detail they need. I like to give a lot of hints toward it. At the end, after hopefully everyone has read this and done it, I will link the few dominating FFXI sites. You might be asking, where is "some NPC"? Well if you did this guide correctly, then you should already have talked to everyone once. I'll give a general area for each NPC, so it will be very easy if you followed directions.

First off, install the game and set up all your content IDs. This include RoZ(Rise of Zilart) and CoP(Chains of Promathia) content IDs. Information on installing the game and stuff like this won't be found on this thread.

Okay time to enter the world of Vana'diel. About making your character.




Character Creation

Some terms first: STR, DEX, VIT, AGL, INT MND, and CHR are all the base stats. HP(Hit/Health Points) and MP(Mana/Magic Points) are also considered base stats. In this game, races do not get racial traits(aside from the fact Mithra can eat raw Fish), but are decided by these stats. [In a nutshell... STR = more damage, DEX = more accuracy, crit rate, VIT = more defense, AGL = better range attack, more dodging/blocking/countering/parrying, INT = more damage and less resist on black magic spells, MND = more damage[uh... cure more] and less resist on white magic spells, CHR = less resist on songs, better chance to charm]

Hume. Every fantasy game has their own 'human' race. Humes live mostly in Bastok. Hume have the tendicy to not care about others and their way of life. This is showed repeatly by the way they cleaned out the Quadavs(local Beastmen) of their homes for more mining areas. Their stats are very even across the board.

Galka. Galka are tall, buff, and asexual. They are known to be wise people, but often are uneducated and live in poverty. They too live in Bastok, but are considered a second class of citizens. Most of them live on "Gold Street" of the Bastok Mines and base their life on working hard in the mines. Despite being asexual Galka are considerd male. Another intersting thing about Galka is that they live to be over two hundred years old and reincarnate(as their sole form a reproduction). Galka have very low INT and MP. They have good VIT and a very good amount of HP. They have higher STR, but otherwise indifferent.

Tarutaru. Tarutaru are small, fuzzy nosed people that, by chance, introduce magic to the races of Vana'diel. They don't stand taller than two to three feet and considered slightly chubby. They live in Windurst. They are a race that relies almost completely on magic. Tarutaru have high INT and very high MP. They have very low HP, low STR, and low VIT.

Mithra. Mithra are a cat race of people, mainly female(we have yet to see a male mithra as of yet), who are very quick and agile. Mithra come from the islands to the far south, but soon befriended the Tarutaru and a good amount live with the Tarutaru in Windurst. You can only play female Mithra. They have high DEX and AGL. They have slightly low HP and MP.

Elvaan. Elvaans are strong, long limbed people. They live in the castle based city in the forest, San d'Oria. They are a very religous and prideful people. People like to call them Elves, but that it not quite true, Tarutarus are the closes thing to "elves" in this game. They have good STR, HP, and MND. They have poor DEX, AGL, MP, and INT.

Okay... then you get to choose your job. At this point the only thing this decides is the weapon you will start with. In FFXI no one is limited to a single job and you can change your job anytime you want as long you are in a town(with a Moggle). If you want to start RDM, I suggest you pick WAR first because they recieve the sword, more fitting to the RDM than the dagger they get. You might want to do the same with THF. I'll explain Jobs further down.

Towns... there is three major nations you can start in. No, this isn't open PvP and you will be able to work with people from other nations. If you pick a race and a city that match(Hume, Galka - Bastok. Tarutaru, Mithra - Windurst. Elvaan - San d'Oria), you will get a free level 1 Ring with good stats for that level, but don't let that limit you otherwise.

Bastok is an industrial city based on mining and science to survive. It is based on the wasteland tip of Quon. Everything around it looks dry and dead, but thats not to say it doesn't have its fair share of landmarks.

San d'Oria is a fortress city in a deep forest. It is a kingdom of knights. San d'Oria seems to always have more zones(areas) around it. Doing the math, San d'Oria has six dungeons very close to it.

Windurst is a very green magical town, with a lot of water. The positioning of the buildings and the fact that there are so many bridges over water is because twenty years ago this city was laid to waste. It is in a big savannah with many odd magical towers.



Storyline

Whats very important for picking your nation is the missions you will be doing for them. Each nation has their own history which have missions and manyy quests are based on. Here is an introduction to the overal story and the story of each nation.

It is said in a legend, many thousand years ago there was a giant, shiny crystal that shined the darkness away. The crystal however shattered and in the aftermath an ancient group of people were born. The Gods born from the crystal fell into a sleep as these ancients ruled their world. The ancients were very advance and could do many things. They dared tried to reach heaven, Paradise, and live with the Gods. Their efforts was seen forbidden in the eyes of the Gods. They all died and their nation to sink to the bottom of the ocean with a mighty blast of energy. The entire planet was wiped out. Several thousand years later, life began anew. It is said in the same legend that the Goddess of Dawn, Altana cried tears over the lives of these ancients. From those tears came the five children of Vana'diel(the five playable races). In the very same legend, it is said that Promathia, the God of Dusk, cursed the children with inner weakness so they would never get along. He also created his own people, the races of Beastmen.

For a long time the Beastmen ruled the world. The Galka and Mithra were natually beastmen like themselves faired well. The Mithra built an empire in the islands to the south. The Galka built a desert empire. The Galkan Empire was advanced and used the tecnology of the Ancients. However, they dug too far and encountered the Anticans, a hidden beastmen. The ant-like beastmen had endless numbers and the war keep on. Most of the Galka were wiped out as they fled their empire. They ended up in Gustaberg, where the Hume lived, and current day Bastok is. [Note: It is unsure if the Hume originally came from Gustaberg or a nation in the Far East). From here on are the nation storyline. I didn't put any timeline, but roughly, Windurst spawned less than three hundred years after the Galka Empire fell, San d'Oria was created a couple hundred years(200 or 300) after Windurst was made, the Bastok was made/freed 100 to 200 more later, and The Great War happened about 150-250 years after that. All in all, all these nations were made in the last 1000 or so years.

Windurst.

Windurst is the oldest living civilization in Vana'diel. Tarutarus originally came from the the western continent Quon, but were slowly being killed off by the Beastmen. They traveled east and made their home in the savannah named Sarutabaruta. The Yagudo were a threat, but things were peaceful as the Yagudo were in control of their territory. They encountered and befriended the Mithra from the southern islands. One day a little girl wandered into a magical tower... and discovered magic. This little girl would become the first Star Sybil, and considered constantly reincarnated(as an avatar of Altana). They used this to become a powerful nation(the first world power) and conquered even Quon after they forced the Yagudos into a treaty that favored their needs. However, others learned magic and Windurst's reach was pushed back into their savannah once San d'Oria was born. Several hundred years later, after the rise of the Shadow Lord, Windurst was faced with a massive invasion. The beastmen conquered area after area, until they reached Windurst's gates. The Yagudo had developed anti-magic armor. Windurst was all but conquered and ruined until a hero appeared. This "Hero" used the forbidden magic known as summoning. With all his might, he summoned a giant beast that alone wiped out the Yagudo army. The "Hero" and the beast disappeared into darkness and died. Twenty years later, the Windurstians are short on soldiers and Cardians from the war past have begun to rebel. They have a 'treaty' with Yagudo once again, but does almost nothing. One minister is sick of the weakness that Windurst is under: Ajido-Marujido.

San d'Oria

The Elvaans soon discovered how to do their own magic. They created the church of a Goddess they had always believed in tribal songs, Altana. They joined together and built a kingdom of steel in the north woods of Quon. With their physcial might and magic, they were able to defeat the Tarutarus. They didn't stop there however. San d'Oria set out to conquer the world. They grasphed over the dry harsh land north of Windurst and all of Quon save a tiny piece of wasteland in the far South. They made the nation Tavnazia, which later would become its own nation. As time passed Humes and Galka teamed together and made Bastok. They could plant nothing but Potatos. However, both oppose to San d'Oria, Windurst began trading various of fruits and materials for metals they mined. As time passed San d'Oria ignored Bastok's growth. San d'Oria's pride would cause their empire to crumble. Busy with fighting the Windurst and Yagudo alliance in the east and the Bastokians in the south, their army simple let out. Half the country was torn to continue the fight, while the other wanted peace. This lead to a Civil War that would last over a hundred years. Finally a knight named Ranperre, one of the decidents of the two princes, marched to San d'Oria and with his almighty sword the Lightbringer, stopped the fighting. He would repair San d'Oria. Came the Great War, San d'Oria were a powerful force, but suffered many casualties. Their city was never harmed, but they fought the hardest. Tavnazia was wiped out to nothingness when a massive invasion of Beastmen, almost all of the Shadow Lord's army, attacked. An epic blast flashed over the land and the entire area was completely destroyed. Only a few islands remain where the city once stood. No one is sure what caused it, but they believe it was an error of a secret Beastmen weapon. Twenty years later, after the War, San d'Oria is no longer the great lion it once was, however they still are at battle with the Orcs in an undeclared war. Two prince brothers argue over the throne, much like before the Civil War many years earlier. As tensions rise, a myserious man entered San d'Oria for the first time in a long time... he seems to be looking for something. So do the Orcs.

Bastok

Bastok was still a young nation when they began to battle over the Quadav's nests. The Quadav had stopped fighting with the Bastokians, but their land contained vauable ore. Soon the Quadavs were pushed out thanks for explosives. Bastok began to produce steam power machines, gunpower, and guns. Their land was still barren. With Windurst help, they began to become strong to hold their own. The nation was still only children in the eyes of the Elvaan. Soon Bastok would attack San d'Oria while they fought in the East. They pushed San d'Oria's unready troops back. However when San d'Oria returned their attack, Bastok was being destroyed. An untrained army of young men stood no chance to knights normaly, but with guns they could fight on a slightly even level. With San d'Oria so spread out, they were at their weakest in the battle against the 'childish' forces of Bastok. Bastok, at its final stand, planned an ambushed attack with the full use of every gun. San d'Oria's army was entirely dececrated. San d'Oria retreated and, to Bastok's surprised, never countered attack. Bastok now had control of Valkurm Dunes and allies with Windurst. Bastok quickly became a new world power, creating towns like Selbina and a tiny fishing village called Jeuno. Jeuno would later become the top tier and strongest country of Vana'diel. In the Great War, the Quadavs fought back for their nests. Many Galka died. Not being able to focus on this, Bastok's heros such as the Dark Knight Galka Zeid and the rests of the Mythril Musketeers, marched to defeat the Shadow Lord.. With the majority of the Shadow Lord's army in Tavnazia, they reached his mighty castle and in an epic battle defeated the Shadow Lord. It was said Zeid had lost his life here. Twenty years later, Bastok is still powerful with such heros as the engineer Cid and the Mythril Musketeers still strong. However, the Bastokians have internal trouble. The Galka are treated like slaves at times and have no influence in the control of their city. Some say the spiritual leader of the Galka has been reincarnated somewhere. Could riots break out as the Galka demand rights? And rumors of a Dark Knight Galka wandering in Quadav camps have been heard by a few ears.

Well long read, I know.

Once your character is made simply enjoy the first cutscene which will introduce one or two important characters and be ready to play FFXI.




Sub-Jobs / Weapons

Here is a list of sub jobs and weapons for all the jobs currently in the game:

WAR: WAR/MNK with Axes or Great Axes til level 30. WAR/NIN with Axes after. WAR/THF with Great Axe is good on HNMs.
MNK: MNK/WAR is usually the best way to go. MNK/WHM is good for HNMs.
THF: THF/MNK til 30, but THF/NIN is the best sub. THF/SAM for HNMs is good.
BLM: BLM/WHM til level 40+ at least. BLM/RDM is an option then, but isn't good til +60.
WHM: /BLM is the best sub until +60, where /SMN is an okay choice with summons.
RDM: /BLM or /WHM are both good. For HNMs, /BLM is better.

An Advance Job is just like the beginning jobs you have at the start of the game but simply can not be changed into until you do the quests.

DRK: DRK/WAR is good but at +60, DRK/THF is good.
DRG: DRG/WAR or DRG/THF are both good +30.
PLD: PLD/WAR all the way.
RNG: RNG/WAR or RNG/NIN. /WAR is better for damage, /NIN helps with staying alive if you pull hate or need to build TP.
BRD: BRD/WHM all the way.
BST: BST/WHM is good for solo, BST/NIN and BST/WAR both work for exp parties.
SMN: SMN/WHM all the way.
SAM: SAM/WAR and SAM/THF both work well.
NIN: /WAR all the way.

Here is what each job does.

Tank = PLD NIN, lower levels WAR and MNK.
Damage Dealers = WAR THF MNK BLM SAM DRG DRK
Healers = WHM SMN, sometimes RDM
Support = RDM BRD

Partys post 41 should be set up Tank, Healer, Support, DD, DD, and DD.[Two melees who can SC together and a BLM is good].




How to Skillchain?

Skillchains, or Renkei called by the Japanese and the old schoolers, is the special effect that happens when two compatable weapon skills are used in a sync like order. SCs can cause a decent amount of elemental damage and can make spells of that matching element become a "Magic Burst". MBs are more effective and more damaging than the spells just cast alone. Skillchains can also build off each other. The bonus granted to MBs is increased everytime this happens. You can do up to four SCs, which won't be likely. Please note, if a WS is used after a SC, even if it doesn't continue it or interact otherwise, it can 'ruin' the MB. I'm guessng this is some kind programming glitch that still reads it as a SC with no MB property.

To make a SC: Player A uses a Weaponskill. Player B waits two or three seconds after the animation of that WS is over, and activates his own Weaponskill. Player C begins casting a spell to MB on the Skillchain. When Player C begins casting his spell will be describe below.

There is three types of Skillchains. Level 1, Level 2, and Level 3. Higher the level, the stronger the SC and MB. What Weaponskills you use can decide which level you unleash.

Level 1.
These are single elemented and very weak.
Transfixion - Light
Impaction - Thunder
Compression - Dark
Reverbration - Water
Liquefaction - Fire
Scission - Earth
Induration - Ice.

Each weaponskill has an element. Certain elements pair up, the the finishing attack's element will make the skillchain. Here is a list of what Weaponskills can open what. By open, I mean start the SC. (WS1 -> WS2).

Transfixion can open Compression and Reverbration.
Liquefaction can open Scission.
Impaction can open Liquefaction and Detonation.
Detonation can open Scission.
Compression can open Tranfixion and Detonation.
Scisson can open Liquefaction, Detonation, and Reverbration.
Reverbration can open Impaction and Induration.
Induration can open Impaction and Compression.

If you wanted to do a 3-man(or 4) SC, example: Player A uses a Fire elemented WS, Player B uses a Earth elemented WS, they create Scission, Player C uses a Fire elemented WS, and they create Liquefaction.

Level 2.
These are double elemented and decently strong. They are performed like Level 1 SCs.
Fusion - Fire and Light.
Fragmentation - Thunder and Wind.
Gravitation - Darkness and Earth.
Distortion - Ice and Water.

These SCs are activated just like Level 1 SCs, but more specific.

Induration opening for Reverbration will make Fragmentation.
Liquefaction opening for Impaction will make Fusion.
Detonation opening for Compression will make Gravitation.
Transfixion opening for Scission will make Distortion.

If you were going to do a 3-man(or more) SC you could not have Level 2 SCs 'delvl' back to Level 1 SC(1 -> 1, 1 -> 2 only), example: Player A uses a Dark elemented WS, Player B uses a Light elemented WS, they create Transfixition, Player C uses a Earth elemented WS, and they create Distortion.

Level 3. [These can't be done til much, much later on]
These are quadriple elemented and very strong. They are preformed with higher leveled WSes.
Light - Light, Fire, Lightning and Wind.
Darkness - Dark, Earth, Water, and Ice.

Level 3 SCs can be activated in two ways: #1. 2 elemented WS -> 2 elemented WS. #2. 1 elemented WS -> 1 elemented WS -> skillchain -> 2 elemented WS. The 2 elemented WS are simply skllchains on their own. There are WSes for each of the Level 2s. For example, the Monk's WS "Dragon Kick" is Fragmentation elemented. Level 3 is most focused on combining the right elements than the order you do them in. [Note: Remember, skillchains can't 'delvl', so you must use the weaker SC first, if you are planning to]

Fusion and Fragmentation will create Light.
Gravitation and Distortion will create Darkness.

Offical FFXI Skillchain Page. This says pretty much what I said above, but more wordy and with pictures.

Here is the site for Aden's Renkai Chart, in Acrobat or Jpeg format. You might find it confusing at first but it will be easy to under stand. The black arrows(noting their direction) and the type of SC listed on them is the SC you would make.

MBing isn't tricky once you've mastered it. The trick to it is knowing how long the spell you are casting is going to take. You don't want to cast too early or too late. It will be easy to time your spells correctly once you get used to me.
[/spoiler]

[Legal Fish]

Re: I've been asked to make an online guide...

Walkthrough 1 to 30 <<<<<<<< MUST READ!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Level 1 to 10/11.

This is the first step on your path. First you must pick your job. If you plan on being an advance job melee, I suggest you level Warrior or Monk. If you want to be a Red Mage, create your character on a Warrior so you get Onion Sword, which is better than the dagger.

First you must do your first quest, which is nameless at this point, trade an Adventurer Coupon to a NPC marked down on your map. From here, its time you learn about your town and its history. Run around your town, talk to every NPC, look at every possible spot(don't forget warehouses, many important NPCs are hidden in or behind warehouses). Make your brain become a sponge so you'll never forget where to go, even without a map. You should get a decent sized quest list from this alone. After this learn how to control your character and everthing you can do.

Its time to go outside of your town. First thing to do is make sure you have Signet. This will give your Conquest Points and crystals. Make sure you stack your items after every fight.

You will either be fighting in a savannah, dry wasteland, or thick forest depending where you picked. At level 1 make sure you fight weaker monsters. Avoid beastmen for awhile, until they start to check Decent Challenge or Even Match. BLMs, WHMs, and THFs should avoid fighting monsters that WARs, RDMs, and MNKs can probably take. This is most true if you are a Tarutaru(with low HP). By level 7 you should be moving farther and farther from the gate. 8-10 can be dreadful and slow. You might want to team up on this, but I suggest you just stick it out solo. Make sure you update your armor once you hit the correct level. Melees can wear the Leather set, Monks can wear the Kogi set, and Mages/Monk can wear the Robe set. Some gear is buyable on NPC. I suggest you buy from NPC before Auction House, because chances are its going to be cheaper. Save all the items the monsters drop and sell them. Try your best to get as many stacks of Beastmen Seals as possible, however it will take you a long time.

At Level 10/11.

At this level, spend time to go back in your town and do the quests you activated. You are going to need some gil from this point on. Make sure your gear is always close or is up to date. Learn from these quests, as the history of your town and characters involved. After or during your quest onslaught, activate your first mission.

Your first mission can be soloed rather easily, but it isn't a bad idea to team up with another level 10 or two. This is most true for Windurst, which can be considered hard because of the monsters you have to pass in order to complete it. I'll describe missions in the next update of this thread. Do all the missions until you are rank 2(a total of three missions). You might need help, so make a group of friends and do all of them. Make sure you stay in touch with everyone you know. Friends are more powerful than the best weapon in this game.

Once you collected a good amount of gil from quests and such(some are repeatable) buy armor for the next few levels(Linen and Scale Armor). You can also Fish while you are at it. Register at some guilds for free crystals. Goblins in the Hurutoto Ruins drop Wild Onions which are used in a quest and are also valuable. Make sure you grab two +Stat rings, saint, hermit/eremite rings. BLMs and RDMs need Hermit/Eremite, WHMs need Saint, melees will either need STR or DEX, Tarutaru suggested for STR and Elvaan suggested for DEX. Food is also a good thing to buy up on. Once you believe you are good to go. It times to start partying.

Level 10/11 to 15.

Make sure you understand how skillchains work. Make sure you have your spells and your weapon up to date, along with your gear. You will either be exping at Maze of Shakarami or Valkurm Dunes. Maze is much better exp, but everyone goes to Dunes. There is many other areas, such as the San d'Oria entrance to Carpenter's Landing, but its unlikely people won't be sheep. By level 15, you should most likely head back and replace your armor and buy new armor and armor for the coming levels. You also might want to camp Leaping Lizzy if you came from Bastok. +3 AGL +3 DEX is very nice for THF. It pops every 1-3 hours in a large area before the steam holes and around the big pointly clift in the middle of the path. When you are all geared up for another round of partying, go to Valkurm Dunes for an exp party.

Level 15 to 20.

You will want to collect three items for your sub job quest once you hit 18. Its possible to get the items before you even hit 18. There is two subjob quests. One in Selbina and one in Mhaura. It is very possible to exp in Mhaura instead of Valkurm since they have almost the same monsters(Valkurm has flies and Buburium Penisual has dhalmels). The problem with Mhaura's quest is that it involves getting a drop off ghosts there. Ghosts are tough. It will take a little more than a party of 18s to kill it, but not too much more. If you have high level help you should find Mhaura's quest easy, but if you want to do it while you exp, you are better off with Selbina's.

Selbina [Elder Memories] - Isacio - Crab Apron(Snipper), Damselfy Worm(Damselfy), and Magicked Skull(Ghoul)
Mhaura [The Old Lady] - Vera - Bloody Robe(Bogy), Dhalmel Saliva(Bull Dhalmel), and Wild Rabbit Tail(Mighty Rarab).

Ghouls are often over camped. You can also find them in Gusgen Mines and in one of the Outer Horutoto Ruins zones. It is the zone on West Sarutaburta, the most Northwest one(above the Giddeus zone). These ghouls are slightly stronger, but a party should be able to handle them just as easy... these also have a higher drop rate and are up 100% of the time, like Gusgen.

Once you gain your sub job, head back to your main nation. It is time to level a job through dunes again. Buy armor for that job, exp that job to 18 like you did before. Here is what you should sub.

WAR sub MNK
MNK sub WAR
THF sub MNK
WHM sub BLM
BLM sub WHM
RDM sub BLM or WHM.

These are most effective sub jobs until Advance jobs are unlocked. They should be enough to get you to level 30.

Once you have two jobs at 18, level your original main to 20 or 21.

At Level 20/21.

Its time to head to Jeuno, where all paths lead to. Over 70% of adventurers take residence in this town, so expect some decent amount of lagginess. Before heading out check AH for Gausebit Grass. You will need 4. If you can't find them there, you can try Jeuno's AH for luck. Wadi Hare in Dangruf Wadi drops them. Crane Fly in Meriphataud Mountains drop them. Wadi should be easy, Crane Fly should take 2 to 4 level 20s depending on what jobs. Once you zone in Jeuno, do the same as you did in your first town. Run around, talk to NPCs, explore, learn, and /check people higher level than you. When you come to the Chocobo Stables in Upper Jeuno, you will recieve the chocobo quest. You can attemp to feed the Chocobo every Vana'diel day(roughly 1 hour). The first two times he won't eat it, but after that, he'll eat all four of your grases one by one. Feel free to exp in Qufim Island while you do this. You'll have a lot of time, considering you are going to spend the next five levels here.



There is also something called Eco-Warrior. Eco-Warrior involves using an alliance of people fighting through an area in order to reach a "???" point. A boss waits at the end of that point. Members will be capped at level 20 the whole time. The reward is a decent amount of gil(at least for a Beta economy) and an Exp scroll.

There is one Eco-Warrior Quest for each of the three nations. The actually fighting takes place on a dugenon near the town where the quest is activated(Gusgen Mines for Bastok, Shakarami Maze for Windurst, and Ordelle's Caves for San d'Oria). Once activated, you can not cancel the Eco-Warrior quest. You can do only one Eco-Warrior quest a week. The best way to do this is inviting people with your linkshell and shouting for people. I do not suggest bringing anyone along under level 18... for strangers, people with sub jobs should be prefered.

In a normal set up you will want: 2-3 BLMs or BRDs(Sleepers, avoidable for the San d'Oria mission), 2-3 PLDs NINs or tank based WARs(tank), 3-4 WHMs(healers), the rest can be any job(damage dealers prefered). If doing the Windurst quest, a SMN can litterly one shot all of them with Shiva(more than likely, with almost any avatar). It wouldn't surprised me to see 2-3 SMNs soloing the entire quest, lol. If someone(s) +40 wishes to help, it does help a lot. That person doesn't do the quest or fight the NMs, but can help kill monsters on the way to the "???". Don't be afraid to use 2hrs in these fights(unless you are a Ninja >.>). If the BLM is the sleeper, have him use Elemental Seal, which will make it surely hit. After you kill the NM, everyone must touch the "???" and get a key item. [NOTE: When arriving at the "???", make sure no one pops it]

Port Bastok - Raifa @ Steaming Sheep Restrurant. This is the hardest one. Why? Because there is a large amount of undead monsters. Skeletons with an AoE drain which can make them recover a lot of health as they are killed. The boss is the dealiest out of the three. You fight two Slime type monsters named Puddings. Slime type monsters are good against blunt(hand to hand, staff) attacks, but weak to piercing(dagger, arrow, bullet, spear). The worst part about them is that they can do +200 damage AoE. WHMs should cast Barwatera and keep it up the entire fight. Make sure one of them is Slept(and ready to be slept again when it wakes).

South San d'Oria - Norejaie @ Lion Springs Inn. This is the easiest one. The boss is a single mob that is easy to control. It is a Flesh type, which I'm not sure has a weakness, and is named Necroplasm. He has a lot of HP and uses Breath ranged attacks. Breath means everything in a cone shaped infront of him will be hit. Make sure the tank aims it away from mages. Melees who are not tanking it should stand behind it and mages should be a short distance away facing one of its sides. It hits hardest, so WHMs should be focused on healing the tank.

Windurst Waters - Lumomo @ Timbre Timbers Tavern. This one takes the most thougth, because people who don't listen can end up getting you all killed at the boss fight. The boss fight is against three flies named Wyrmflies. They use Cursed Sphere which is a painful AoE. WHMs and people subbing WHM also need to take care of Poison The key is to sleep two of them and make sure everyone attacks the one as the main tank. Make sure there is two other tanks who provoke the sleeping Wyrmflies, because they will kill the BLMs or BRDs when they wake up.

If anyone dies during the fight, they will lose the level cap and no be able to collect the key item. However, the fight will still count for them. Have the uncapped players help the people who died back to the "???" and have them get the key item without a fight.

Here is an excellent guide on not only how to fight these quests, but how to plan and lead them. Guide.

I suggest you learn from these quests, because you just had your first taste on how some HNMs(high notorious monsters) fight. This is also a great way to have members join your linkshell. I suggest you get them all done. The Exp scroll rewards 500-999 exp and you recieve 5000 gil.

Level 20-25.

You can do Sauromaunge Champaign 19 to 23. You fight beetles in their little nest. Their nest is located to the right of one of the crag(ceremet, white bone stuff) legs walking from Jeuno staying on the right side of the zone(without zoning out). Watching for Weapons, which aggro magic and sound, on the way there. You will probably spend 20-25 entirely in Qufim however. This isn't a bad thing however, as it is some very good exp and gives you access to feeding your choco easily. Watch out for Ghosts and Skeletons that appear during the night. You will exp off worms, then crabs(while worms still possible), and finally Pugils. You can also zone in the big huge tower at some point. You can kill Goblins in here +24ish.

Note that you will likely get a cutscene for Chains of Promathia. You can also continue this cutscene in Upper Jeuno and so on, but you won't be able to complete the first real mission of the expansion. Chains of Promathia takes real skill and is on scale with other Final Fantasys when it comes to plot and characters. Keep CoP in the back of your mind as you continue down the path as you will soon rely on it to become a great adventurer.

At Level 25.

Its time to do all the missions til you hit Rank 3. This is quite a big step. However, you are so very far from done. Take a few screenshots, they will be fun to look at in the future.

The best place to exp at this level would be the jungles of Kazham. However, you need to do a unnamed quest for this. Its quite simple, but can take awhile. You need to go to each of the three low level Beastmen Dungeons(which you should have maps of by now) and farm three chest keys(one of each). Only the deepest monsters in the zone drop the chest key. Usually the area farthest from zone. Giddeus' area for these type of monsters is somewhat tricky to get to, but what you need to do is drop into the right hole, so you will be on the right clift that leads you to it(aim for the middle). After you farm all three keys, which I suggest you bring some kind of help, may it be one or two other people who need the key as well, go to Port Jeuno and enter the Kazham Airport. A NPC will be ready to accept them, after telling you about the offer. Have fun on your first airship ride. You won't be able to ride to your hometowns until you gain Rank 4. Sadly, I don't have the time to extend this guide that far, however, I'll reconsider if this gets pinned.

Level 25 to 30.

Assuming you go to Kazham to level, you will be fighting Mandy type monsters. These can be a pain due to their AoE sleep WS. Mages should try to stand out of range while they do this and be ready to cure. At level 27 or 28, you can either move to Yhoator Jungle or start killing goblins for awhile. I don't want to go through the trouble of explaining going to Yhoator Jungle when I'm this tired, but ask someone for help in-game or find a map online. You can also ride a chocobo down to Norg(kind of tricky to get to). And there you can kill Sahagin and Pugils. This would replace 27-30(31).

At Level 30.

Upgrade your equipment! I suggest you try to do more quests, maybe another Eco-Warrior, and such. Try to get your fame high enough to activate the many Advance Job quests if you plan on doing them. They are somtimes fun to do anyway. Some of the RoZ quests a tougher(SAM, NIN, DRG, and SMN) to do, but don't be afraid if you have friends to help you out, a party of 30-35 should be able to handle all of them... DRG's can be tough however If you do level a new job, make sure you have the correct subjob.

This is where my 1 to 30 guide ends. I don't think it is worth writing much more until the slim hope this gets sticked. Despite being more useful, it will likely be ignored and people will ask the same questions over and over again.





Mission.

Sometimes you'll notice you can't get any new missions to continue. This means you need more Rank Points. There is two ways to get Rank Points. One is that you trade Crystals. The other is that you do repeat quests. I would suggest doing repeat quests, as you need those crystals to sell to make gil.

Bastok Rank 1-1 to 2-2.

1-1: The Zeruhn Report.

This is too easy. Go into Zeruhn Mines and talk to the person in charge, Makarim. Notice how the Humes sent you to check the Galka as if they were animals. Anyway, this is a simple task and it tells you where to go when complete.

1-2: A Geological Survey

Time to meet the legendary engineer Cid. He is a very important character, more so later on. In case you don't know, Cid's Lab is in Metalworks, but you should have known that if you fully explored Bastok. This mission is also simple, he wants you to test the steam of Dangruf Wadi. This is very simple to do. There are steam that bursts from the ground in that zone. Thats all you'll need to know.

1-3: Fetichism

This is yet another simple mission for Bastok. You will need to travel to Palborough Mines that is at the northeast corner of North Gustaberg(zone out from Port Bastok). This was the 'nest' Bastok and the Quadavs battled over. The Quadavs here drop Fetich pieces. The drop rate isn't great. You can avoid this all, just by buying the pieces lol. You should check out this zone anyway.

Congrats on Rank 2! You will need to collect some Rank points to continue. Redo some missions or trade crystals. This applies to the other nations.

2-1: The Crystal Line

Another task for Cid! This time he wants you to test something with the Telepoint(used to be Telepoints lol, but now there is only one since CoP replaced the other two things). Simply trade a crystal to the point to get you a voided crystal drained of its energy. Go back to Cid and report your findings with the crystal.

2-2: Wading Beasts

This is pretty simple, and kind of funny. All you need is a Lizard Egg. They should be easy to buy from AH or farmed in Wadi. Senator Aloise likes his eggs .


San d'Oria Rank 1-1 to 2-2

1-1: Smash The Orcish Scouts

Very simple. Orcish Fodders are spying on San d'Oria. Go kill them until you can get an Orcish Axe to prove you have done good for your nation.

1-2: Bat Hunt

This mission requires to enter King Ranperre's Tomb. KRT as it is called sometimes, is in the south of East Ronfaure. You must look for evidence that will drop off bats near the king's grave. The area that contains the gravestone can be found by running through the caves. You'll enter a maze like area outside filled with bats and goblins. The bats drop the evidence you seek. Make sure you check out good ol' Ranperee's gravestone first. You might find something interesting there. Once you seen that and have your evidence, finish the mission.

1-3: Save The Children

Its up to you to save a child. After talking with the church, it wouldn't be a bad idea to buy the Ghelsba map if you havn't yet. Anyway make your way to the Orc's home. This can be found northwest in West Ronfaure from San d'Oria. You must a reach the hut where they are holding him. Stray right from the entrance, but too right. You will come up a hill and enter a large area. The large hut should be straight ahead. Try to enter the hut and you will be warped into a battle, a BCNM. You can bring your friends along, but this battle is very easy. Deal with the three Orcs, the melee one first.

Grats on Rank 2!

2-1: The Rescue Drill

Head to the knight trainning grounds in Ordelle Caves. To get there look for a path down the ravine to your left after leaving Ronfaure. Talk to the soldiers on the way. The fungi there can aggro, but shouldn't be too hard, in a group anyway. Looks they need some help. Who you need to find is very close to the Ordelle Cave zone. The knights from before has something he lost. This quest is really simple, this is most cryptic I could sound >.>.

2-2: The Davoi Report

Looks like you are heading to Davoi, where the Orcs lead their attacks from. Davoi was a old monastery and was where Ranperre was born in fact. Too bad the Orcs were able to grab in the last hours of the Great War. Anyway, the report should be found on a knight very close to the zone in. Davoi is in Jugner Forest on the southeast part, one of the two dividing pieces of land. You can tell you are getting close to it by all the beastmen banners you will see.

[Legal Fish]

Re: I've been asked to make an online guide...

Windurst 1-1 to 2-2

1-1: The Horutoto Ruins Experiment

Its time to meet my favorite Tarutaru in the whole wide game(don't tell Shantotto I said that ;o), Ajido-Marujido. First you are sent to the ministry he is incharge of: Orastery. This ministry is incharge of the War Warlocks army and its minister(Ajido) is known as the War Warlord. After talking Ajido's humble understudies, time to head to the East Magical Tower. This tower can be found in East Sarutabaruta. It is the most east tower on the map and it is kind of to the north as well. Go down the stairs into the large room full of magical devices. Look for a Cracked wall(clue, its NOT near one of the magical devices in the corner rooms). Behind the wall is a path that will lead you to Ajido-Marujido. Best to be done to the group because there is a few monsters that will attack you. Clear the area as you make your way to a gate where the minister is. He will have you do something before you leave. Simply check all the magical devices to fulfil his wishes.

1-2: The Heart of the Matter

This time you will assist the Manustery, the ministry behind making cardians. Ajido-Marujido's sister runs this ministry, Apururu. She wants you to go to the Southeast magical tower in East Sarutabaruta and recharge six magical orbs. This is very simple. Just place the orbs in the magical devices, two of them are hidden behind cracked walls. Beware of bomb type monsters, they are no push overs. Once everything is in place, activate the devices by passing the east side cracked wall and hitting a door(that can't be opened). You can then collect all the orbs again and leave, but maybe it won't be that easy once you go outside.

1-3: The Price of Peace

Time to visit the Yagudo in Giddeus. Giddeus can be found running past the outpost in West Sarutabaruta and then going south. Giddeus Despite the so called 'treaty' Yagudo will not waste a chance to attack you unless you out level them by a fair amount. The Rhinostry has a task for you. The Rhinostry is the ministry tasked with all things environmental and mysterious; flowers and the six mysterous protocrystals around the world are their main focuses. You will want to talk to Leepe Hoppe on the roof. Windurst has to pay tribute to the Yagudo in order to keep the treaty going. There is two NPC Yagudo in Giddeus who you need to speak with. One on the right path and one on the left path. After you do the first one, you can run back to the other. Overall, painless.

Congrats on Rank 2!

2-1: Lost for Words

Its time to visit Tosuka-Porika of the Optistery. The Optistery in the ministry behind writing and maintaining magicial books. The "Hero" was original the minister of this ministry. It seems Nanaa Mihgo, the "Cat Burgler" is up to no good. She can be found in the Mithran district in Windurst Woods. You'll be ask to get a Coral. I suggest you bring a high-level or a party with you to escort through this. Enter the Maze of Shakarami(northeast of Tahrongi Canyon) and follow the left wall through the two big rooms and the tunnel between them. When you reach two tunnels(near goblins and a scorpion) take the right one. This will lead you into a crawler room with a scorpion or two. The fossiles here contain what she wants. Wouldn't be a bad idea to complete the simple map quest for the Ruin's map now. However, she wants you to visit her at her HQ. Take the crack wall(a different one from last time) and follow the right wall. Bones, beetles, and bats may be a danger here. Once you see a door seeminly out of place, thats where you need to go. After that quickly, run to the "House of the Hero", the most north house in Windurst Walls. Plot thickens!

2-2: A Testing Time

Time to help the Aurastry, the ministry that raises new mages... a school. This is a simple mission. You have one hour, and only one hour, to go to Tahrongi Canyon, kill over 30 foes, and run back. This isn't too hard if you have a good group with you. Just run as fast as your can, use chocobo if possible, and chain kill everything in site. Warp is useful, but you can't warp your whole group yet. A high level helping makes a big difference.

Mission 2-3 involves all three nations crossing over. 2-3 contains your first real boss battle, if you don't count the very easy "Save the Children". It works like this: Your nation sends you to the two other nations in order to complete a task. The first nation you visit will be a task decided by them. The second will always be a BCNM battle. You must travel to each nation(via Chocobo is suggested) and talk to your embassidor. Feel free to explore these towns too. Embassies in Windurst are pretty scatted, Embassies in Bastok are all in Metalworks, and Embassies in San d'Oria are all in North San d'Oria's square. Grab the maps for all main cities and their nearest beastmen zones. After finishing the cutscenes in your nation, head to the other two. Depending which you pick first, will decide where you fight the boss. Unless they already have completed the mission, your friends can't help you if you pick the area where they won't be fighting the boss. For example, if you have a pair of Bastok and San d'Oria friends have them do San d'Oria/Bastok areas first, so they both can fight the boss in Windurst together on the second part of the mission.

Here is the first task for each nation: (After you have talked with your embassy)

Bastok: Talk to Pius in the main presidential building, then Grohm in the Craftsmen's Eatery. You should now why you are doing this by now. Grab a few pickaxes and head to the Pal. mines. Instead of pickaxes, you can just buy Mine Gravel on AH, which lets you skip some parts. Follow the right wall once entering until you reach an elevator. Go up to the third floor this way. From there make your way to the three rooms that appear above the black burn mark on the map. Trade/Use the pickaxe on the Mythril Seam and get Mine Gravel, then run back to the refiner you passed getting there. Trade your item to the refiner, then go to the second floor(near it) and pull the lever. Go back to Bastok and finish this part.

Windurst: Go to Heaven's Tower and then talk to Kupipi behind the desk room. Go to Giddeus and keep on going until you drop down a hidden hole. Find your way to the storage room while down there and deliver the offering Kupipi gave you. On this same map find the named monster Zhuu Buxu The Silent and kill him twice for two shields(each character needs two shields) for the San d'Oria. Also find Eyy Mon the Ironbreaker for the Bastokian version for Aspir Knife(same deal, two knives each).

San d'Oria: Speak to Halver inside the Chateau d'Oraguille. From there go to Gheslba Outpost. From zone, follow your right, but ignore all caves and such you might normally enter. Keep on going until you are on higher ground and you see wooden bridges. You are close to Warchief Vatgit. Once you are on the bigger clift, you can see him wandering about unless someone has killed him. Clear out the Orcs so they won't annoy you when you try to kill him, then fight in in a corner. After he dies, you don't need a Cutscene or item or anything, go back to San d'Oria.

The Boss: Go to your next city, whatever it may be. Follow the steps similiar to above. You will meet Lion, an important character later on. It is time for your first boss fight. Go to the BCNM area in the matching Beastmen area. Yughott Grotto zone behind the the throne in Fort Ghelsba, the little path that fades away on the north part of the Giddeus map, or the black burned out spot in Pal. Mines. In the fight, you will get capped at level 25(so if you or your friends are higher, bring armor) The fight is always the same, but with different boss names:

x1 "Eye"
x1 "Dragon".

The eye will cast magic, including a dangerous Sleepga spell. The Dragon isn't a push over either. This fight is in good need of a Sleeper... BRD or BLM. I suggest bringing a full, balanced party. You can sleep the Dragon(with elemental seal) and kill the Eye fast. Use 2hrs if you like. Then engade the dragon and be careful if he does a Bodyslam WS on you(could really hurt mages, its AoE). This fight is pretty easy, so don't be nervious. There isn't any big trick and the dragon should go down pretty quickly. Each area gets their own cutscene. Go back to the city.




Maps

Maps are very useful to have. They also are not half bad to collect. You should learn, more and more how to navigate through areas without a map. Despite this here is how to obtain a good chuck of maps.

All Main Town Merchants:

Map of Windurst Areas(Windurst zones, Sarutabaruta zones, Tahrongi Canyon, Meriphataud Mountain, Buburimu Peninsula)
Map of San d'Oria Areas(San d'Oria zones, Ronfaure zones, La Theine, Jugner Forest, Valkurm Dunes, Selbina)
Map of Jeuno Areas(Jeuno zones, Batallia Downs, Rolanberry Fields, Sauromunge Champaign)
Map of Bastok Areas(Bastok zones, Gustaberg zones, Konschtat Highlands, Pashhow Marshlands)

Bastok Town Merchants:

Map of Zeruhn Mines
Map of Palborough Mines
Map of Beadeaux

San d'Oria Town Merchants:

Map of Carpenters Landing
Map of Ghelsba(all three zones)
Map of Davoi
Map of Ordelle's Caves

Windurst Town Merchants:

Map of Giddeus
Map of Maze of Shakhrami
Map of Castle of Oztroja

Selbina Town Merchant:

Nothing, but the basic three that main towns carry.

Mhaura Town Merchant:

The basic three main towns carry
Map of Bibiki Bay
Map of Li'Telor Region(Zi'Tah for example)

Jeuno Town Merchants:

Map of Qufim Island
Map of Eldieme Necropolis(dungeon in Ballita Downs)
Map of Garlaige Citadel(dungeon in Sauromunge Champign)
Map of Elshimo Regions(Kazham, Yuhtunga Jungle, Yhoator Jungle)

Rabao Town Merchant:

Map of Kuzotz Region(Eastern Altepa Desert, Western Altepa Desert, Rabao)
Map of Vollbow Region(Cape Teriggan, Gustav Tunnel, Valley of Sorrows)
Map of Korroloka Tunnel

Now here are a few that can be quested.

The Bare Bones - Degenhard in Bastok Markets(near Mines' zone)
This quest is just too simple. Give Degenhard a Bone Chip. These drop from skeletons and can be bought on AH.
Map of Dangruf Wadi

Glyph Hanger - Hariga-Origa in Windurst Waters(Opistery)
This quest is very simple too. Hariga needs you to find someone to help him indenify a tough rune. Ipupu in West Sarutabaruta should be of help. She should be found very close to zone outside Windurst Waters.
Map of Horutoto Ruins

A Foreman's Best Friend - Gudav in Port Bastok(on a lower floor farther from the water)
It seems Gudav's crew's foreman has gone missing with his dog. Look for a Dog Collar, which can be AHed or found on Black Wolf monsters in Gustaberg. Wolves usually lives on top of hills.
Map of Gusgen Mines

Exit the Gambler - Guilberdrier of North San d'Oria(near Carpenter's Guild)
Find Varchet is up to no good. He is near the residential area of South San d'Oria. Find him and deal with him. It involves some luck...
Map of King Ranperre's Tomb

Many maps can be found in Treasure chests and other quests that requires a level higher than 30 to do. CoP maps tend to be tricky.




Links

With this much info you should be okay to survive to level 30(with another job at least level 18 or 20 as a subjob). However, here are some websites. I don't suggest you travel to these websites before level 30.

Killing Ifrit - Forums. Don't go to Allazkhazam. Go here! Allah is a noobie zest pool, and I suggest you avoid it before you get caught up in it(I can go on why it is such a bad site, but I believe that is not the topic). KI, though sometimes can be as flame filled as Allah, has the latest information on everything. It has more high levels than any other FFXI community.

FFXI Online - Another set of Forums. These are not nearly as populated as the other forums, but a lot 'smarter'. These is no flame wars here, and people who act rude are usually casted out within days of their appearence. Despite most of the board being low level, they make it up with real life skills that helps them play FFXI, ie. The Consair information when it was first released in a japanese magazine was translated by a japanese major. Within the next 30-40 minutes, the translation was on every FFXI forum site, with no credit included.

Somepage.com - This is the current most popular FFXI information site(if you don't include forums). This site has an insane amount of information. Within days after any update, Somepage will have listed everything added. Allah usually copies from this site or...

Mysterytour - Before we had Somepage.com, everyone went here. It is ran by a japanese person, so sometimes you get funny phrases. It still has viable information. Some of its "Tips" are very useful and can't be found anywhere else.

Kool Aid - An amazing resource for quest information.

FFXIclopedia - A Wiki based site. What Somepage and Kool-Aid misses, this usually grabs. Currently the best information gathered about the "NPC Fellowship quests"


--PLACES TO EXP--
http://campsitarus.blogspot.com/
Mystery Tour's Hunting Grounds (Hit Hunting Grounds on the left bar)

You should be little more than complete with this information. I'll be bumping a thread a few times, but I doubt there is any moderator planning to sticky this. Well whatever, it will be this communities loss.