So I resubbed...

[Shiro_Hayate]

Only to realize that this game isn't the same anymore. I stood in Jeuno waiting for a grouup to level my Warrior sub (level 20) for a good 2 hours. No groups. I guess over the years the game's population has died and getting groups has become even more difficult. Sigh. I like this game too.

[Balfree]

Re: So I resubbed...

Long gone are the days where you sit around waiting for stuff to happen.

[Armando]

Re: So I resubbed...

If you think it wasn't possible to LFG for 2 hours on WAR at level 20 in earlier days, you're wrong. >_>

[Takanaki]

Re: So I resubbed...

If you think sitting around waiting for people to contact you rather than doing something proactive about it is the right thing to do, you're wrong.

[Shiro_Hayate]

Re: So I resubbed...

What? You expect me to message every leader possible for an invite?

I don't know what happened to this game, but I used to be in a static group. Days before that you just flagged yourself and someone would send you a tell if they needed you.

While waiting for groups, I would usually make a crap load of silver ingots to sell. But that's all I did a few years back (2?). I don't see why the social mechanics would change. Unless you guys are saying I should lead every party I get. It makes no sense at all to send leaders /tells for invites. Leaders are supposed to lead and spam /sea to find group members. The last thing I want is a leader that doesn't take his role.

[Ellipses]

Re: So I resubbed...

No one's suggesting you start /telling leaders. I don't know exactly what they are suggesting, but what I'd do is set homepoint, grab an instant warp scroll, and head out somewhere to solo with your flag up.

The population hasn't really gone down much (if at all; the latest census still had over 500,000 accounts, which is a fairly steady number). It's just that most players have jobs at 75 and aren't leveling subs anymore. And if they need to, quite a few just solo/duo/static/PL to 37.

[Ziero]

Re: So I resubbed...

I have a friend who just restarted from scratch, about a week ago.

His mnk is 18 and his War is nearly 30

It has always, always been extremely common to wait a long time for invites. That has not changed, at all. What has changed is the amount of options I have of things to do between invites. I suggest you take up crafting again if you plan on sitting in the city waiting for an invite. Maybe even get the Qufim OP warp so you can craft from your home nation and just teleport out when you get a party.

[Dim Mahk]

Re: So I resubbed...

For reals, wait times can vary quite a bit, but with all the crap you can do to gap the time wisely I do like Ziero stated. Fishing, crafting, campain quests like the Anvils, farming honey, beehives, skins. Man I get so wraped up in what I am doing somethimes I turn down a party invite cause I am on a roll with the odd jobs things I do. Make the best out of your time.

[TheGrandMom]

Re: So I resubbed...

Different things effect the waiting. What job, what time is it, what day is it, etc. Also for war you are going to be asked to tank in the lower levels. If you refuse to tank (not saying you do), then you will have a hard time getting parties too. Melee have always had a hard time getting parties but its actually better for them in the upper levels now compared to back in the day. So take some of the advice given above because we've all been through this ringer.

Also, didn't you just start again recently? I hope you aren't expecting FFXI to have changed into WoW where you can cap out in a couple weeks! FFXI has always been about patience and still is.

[Ameroth]

Re: So I resubbed...

Only to realize that this game isn't the same anymore.

Because everything in life stays exactly the way you remember it for ever until you die and go away. Right.

Not getting a party the first time you attempt to after waiting 2 hours is hardly an indication of any kind of social anomalies taking place. You're either far too impatient or have a pretty skewed vision of how somethings work in FFXI.

[Phanex]

Re: So I resubbed...

Like everyone else has said, your going to have to either W8 and do other activites while w8ing, build your own party, or try and get ppl in your LS or IRL to from a SP.

And since you are a WAR another thing you can do, while you wait, is get another weapon, and skill it up as high as you can. You can do that while farming on EP or what not. Espicaly since your lvl 20 onry. Won't be that hard, might as well get a head start on some of the of the other Skills.

Also, don't forget your little saying you can put on your character stating what you are willing to /sub and willing to do, tank/dd/pull/etc. That might make a party leader, or someone who's looking for a replacment, pick you up quicker.

[fallenintoshadows]

Re: So I resubbed...

You have to take into account what job you're leveling, WAR was the first job I leveled and sometimes I did have to wait 2 hours in the 20's and that's going nearly 3 years back, infact I remember soloing 20 to 24 on WAR altogether. When I leveled RDM I soloed to about 30ish and then started partying. I'm now leveling THF and I've soloed all the way to 33.

Another point is time of day, different peak times for different time zones generally give a few people seeking, don't always wait for an invite if people are looking: they're generally as lazy as you are and think someone else will make the party when it's more likely for someone just give up seeking altogether.

Don't sit around in Jeuno for an invite, solo! It doesn't hurt to work on leveling whilst LFP. Bloody bolts are your friend once you can use them

[Shiro_Hayate]

Re: So I resubbed...

How the hell did all of you solo so high? Last I recalled, soloing past 15 was hard. I don't even know what was added to this game yet..

[Phanex]

Re: So I resubbed...

Well solo don't mean 200 xp each go round. It's slow, but you can solo on low mobs, while w8ing for a party invite, so you will make some xp, but not as much as you can if you were in a party, and not be just sitting around making no xp.

And some jobs can solo up to 20 quiet quickly, MNK and some Wars can do so, BLMs, and some SMNs know how to. Just depends on your mobs, gear, skill, and /sub.

[Ziero]

Re: So I resubbed...

It's hard soloing on a brand new character, but nowadays you get bonuses to fighting EM or lower mobs with signet on, bonus exp with CP rings and smaller pts, and with food and a proper sub it's better then waiting around doing nothing.