Duo starting fresh. Please advise.

[angry avatar]

So, I haven't played in over a couple of years and I've convinced a friend to migrate from wow back to ffxi and I had some questions that hopefully some people can help me with.

Firstly, what classes can currently solo well? I know blm and blu and bst are supposed to be good at it, but what other classes do well?

Is it good to run the same class as your partner in a duo, or is it more expedient to run a combo, like BLM with WHM or RDM?

what are good class combo's for a duo? two blm/rdm? and If so should it be done with each other alternating mains, so it would be blm/rdm with a rdm/blm, or should you do blm/rdm blm/rdm? And would rdm/blm rdm/blm even be possible.

Hopefully thats not worded too confusingly.

Basically I'm wondering if anyone has some advice for the most expedient way for two people to duo together to max lvl with a core class. We might later try it with one of the advance classes.

If anyone can help, it'd be really appreciated!

[Omgwtfbbqkitten]

Re: Duo starting fresh. Please advise.

First off, before we get into the solo stuff, it should be noted there are two features that have been added to FFXI since your departure - Level Sync and Fields of Valor, these are features actively used in small group play and EXP parties. Level Sync, just like the name implies, allows players to bring other players down to their level. Gear even crosses over, though high level gear won't be as effective as the best lower level gear available for that level. Instead, it will be just a smidge behind that.

Fields of Valor will allow you to solo more easily by awarding you with EXP and gil for completing training regimines issued by Field Manuals you can find just outside of starter cities and also at outposts all across conquest areas. Its not exclusively for solo, though, its also used in some lower level EXP PTs as well.

In addition to these new feature, DC and EP EXP also got a boost late last year.

Now as for soloing and duoing, lots of jobs work well. In fact, I'd advise against BLM/RDM solo so early, its not really that effective til 68. I'd suggest WHM as a sub before then instead.

Many Melees can be effective solo partners with Dancer or Ninja subjobs, SAM/DNC is pretty useful. DRG/WHM and DRG/BLU are still great combinations. So long as we're picking on worms, RNGs solo pretty well, as do BLMs though they can pick on BST pets as well. Scholars start out slow, but gradually become very effective solo partners and soloists.

When RDM and WHM get past 45, they're now given skills that encourage more melee play. This doesn't really make them melees in EXP PTs, but their new skills are more than welcome to duos and low man groups.

BST and BLU are as great as ever for solo and if you got the gil to spare on crossbow bolts and ninja tools THF is as impressive a soloist as ever.

The only jobs that really remain pretty weak soloists are BRD and COR. We can solo things, it just takes too dame long. COR and BRD are still excellent duo partners, though. I know from experience what a blast COR duoing with BST or BLU can be. I'm still pretty much a hermit on BST though (and greedy, MY SEALS NOT YOURS).

Read up on DNC and SCH to see what they've added to the existing jobs.

Just be sure you both play something that balances well with each other. Two melees with no curative skills will face death, two support or mages classes together will kill pretty slow (unless we're talking BLMs and BLUs here, that's different).

[angry avatar]

Re: Duo starting fresh. Please advise.

Thank you for taking the time to give a great response! I do appreciate it. I'm guessing we'll max a blm/whm duo and then unlock some advance jobs to duo later. Or maybe unlock them when we can to try if we need a break. Thanks again for your help!

[Mamonmoo]

Re: Duo starting fresh. Please advise.

I think Im gonna tack on to this question.

I plan on duoing with a friend for the majority of my game play and we kinda have a plan for what jobs we'd like to do. I kinda want advice on if the jobs paired would work well in a duo party. And any suggestions on where to lvl would be great. Seeing as I'm a complete noob to this game beyond my extensive "backseat gaming" off my brother.

Starting jobs 1~30
me: Theif, Friend: Warrior

Next set, first main job. 1~40? with sub
me: DNC/THF, Friend: RNG/WAR

Final set, last main and sub up to 60 and beyond
me: PUP/DNC, Friend: COR/RNG


We'd prolly get parties occasionally but for the most part we'd be a duo. I may lvl RDM somewhere in there but im not sure when it would be best to add that. Any help would be loverly.

[Sethe]

Re: Duo starting fresh. Please advise.

Thanks for this - convinced me and a friend to start afresh after a few years away from FFXI, we first met playing it actually!

Not sure what server we'll be playing on, or what jobs we'll be taking on, but we have the game + expansions on order (after we heard some horror story about unpayed charges we decided not to risk re-activating our old accounts incase we landed £1000's in charges )

Look forward to seeing some of you out there...