1-10 Mage leveling

[Diogenes]

Re: 1-10 Mage leveling

Ah, thanks alot!
I've just registered here and I am currently waiting for my FF XI copy to finally arive. I'm going to start a Blackmage and currently am collecting as much information as possible on this job. This will surely help me out in the beginning.

[Sepa]

Re: 1-10 Mage leveling

For the first post about the E-band,
I leveled BlackMage to 14 in 3 days. It's not because I am really good or anything, I am the same as anyone else.

Really I don't think you even need to use your E-band for the first 5 levels;
First level is 500.

And in E.Ron in Sandy, You get around 75-100 exp each mob; so 5-7 mobs and you have you next level.

Level 2 is what 700 exp, level 3=900, level 4=1,000, and level 5=1,250 exp;

really no need to use it.
Now I'm not saying you can't use your e-band, you can, just if you want a lot of levels in one session, wait until level 5 or 6 to use it.

Level 6=1,500 & level 7=1,700 Exp.

Level 8=2,000 Exp {A slow leveling for this one}

Then next charge

Level 9=2,200 {now I suggest you don't use your eband for this one}
Level 10=2,400 {Total for level 9 & 10= 4,600 exp, and eband Helps you with 3k
so I say leve 1,600 Exp without the eband, then use it.
It will make leveling seem to go alot faster.}


SideNote: If I know I'm going to be in a exp party, where I'm going to get at least 2 levels,
I never use the eband on the first level. I wait until the last 3k exp I need on the second level.
A lot more people will be willing to stick around if you tell then you have just a little bit more to go, and you have your eband on.

And for the Marcos, try using Marcos and not using Marcos;
I have level my RedMage/WhiteMage/BlackMage a bit, and I still haven't used Marcos.

I do use it to swich Armor, Neck, Rings, Back, ect.
But still haven't used it for Magic.

And I do fine, after a little bit you know where your spells are, and you can get to them very fast.
And I found as a BlackMage, you can't really cast a lot of spells at once on a mob; otherwise you'll get Hate.

I'd rather use my marcos to switch between +Int and +Mnd gear;
+Int obviously to nuke, and +Mnd just in case the Main healer needs help
with curing the Party.

[Murphie]

Re: 1-10 Mage leveling

Who is this Marcos fellow? Is he greek? He sounds greek.

[Ellipses]

Re: 1-10 Mage leveling

Yeah, if you're gonna make fun of someone for spelling a word incorrectly, you might want to get it right yourself at least once.

As far as timing the XP band when soloing, it really doesn't matter that much. Unless you're only XPing with the charge up, 1000 XP is 1000 XP. If you XP for four hours at a time, for example, you're going to go from level 1-10 at the same rate no matter when you use the ring's charges. The only thing timing it will change is whether you level more at the starts of your sessions or at the ends.

Personally, I never ask a party to stick around for the last however-much of a level I need. I'd rather have a massive buffer on my current level and gain the next one quick in the next party (and then spend the rest of that party building a new buffer). But different strokes and all that.

[samarium]

Re: 1-10 Mage leveling

That's the most impressive usage of bold and italics I've ever seen.

Who is this Marcos fellow? Is he greek? He sounds greek.

You know, he's that little sweaty guy who does a bunch of stuff for you when you poke him. Kinda like an olive-skinned Navi.

Macros are very useful. Spells on your list are very widely separated, for one -- if you're busy nuking and the tank needs Cured, you'll have to jump up the list and try hard to find it, whereas I can just hit Alt-1 and select my target.

I use macros for everything except Bar-spells (WHM) - I pre-select those so my cursor stays on them, I just have to hit Alt-M Enter to cast.

Macros Are (is?) Your Friend(s).

He's absolutely correct about Empress Band usage. Save it for the slow levels.

If this is your first character, you won't have enough Conquest Points to get the ring until about level 6 or 7 anyway.

-sam

Double Post Edited:

Yeah, if you're gonna make fun of someone for spelling a word incorrectly, you might want to get it right yourself at least once.

As far as timing the XP band when soloing, it really doesn't matter that much. Unless you're only XPing with the charge up, 1000 XP is 1000 XP. If you XP for four hours at a time, for example, you're going to go from level 1-10 at the same rate no matter when you use the ring's charges. The only thing timing it will change is whether you level more at the starts of your sessions or at the ends.

Personally, I never ask a party to stick around for the last however-much of a level I need. I'd rather have a massive buffer on my current level and gain the next one quick in the next party (and then spend the rest of that party building a new buffer). But different strokes and all that.

No, it DOES make a difference. Let me explain:

At early levels, say 1-4, you can easily solo Even Match and Tough monsters for 100-120 exp a pop, and even exp chain them. As you move up, you start getting less and less exp for progressively longer and tougher fights with more downtime in between. Even Matches will no longer be feasible, and even Decent Challenges will crimp your MP.

Secondly, it's psychological. Levels 7 through 10 seemed... to... take... FOREVER. I found myself getting discouraged and bored with it. It'll help keep your interest.

And definitely get some Ginger Cookies, if you can.

-sam

[Ellipses]

Re: 1-10 Mage leveling

Hmm, okay, I see what you're both saying there at the really early levels. I guess it's just personal experience with it. I tend to level from 1-5 or 7 (depending on job) in one session, then just do whatever I can after that. Once you cross the threshold where Easy Prey are your only real option, the timing stops mattering very much. Especially if you solo past 10, which I heartily support.

[samarium]

Re: 1-10 Mage leveling

Hmm, okay, I see what you're both saying there at the really early levels. I guess it's just personal experience with it. I tend to level from 1-5 or 7 (depending on job) in one session, then just do whatever I can after that. Once you cross the threshold where Easy Prey are your only real option, the timing stops mattering very much. Especially if you solo past 10, which I heartily support.

10 really is too early to start fighting Lizards in the dunes, but alas everyone seems to do it anyway.

Me, I joined the Dunes at 9. Soloing in Sarutabaruta was driving me NUTS .

It was way too early. We had a number of deaths. But most importantly it wasn't boring!

-sam

[Murphie]

Re: 1-10 Mage leveling

BLM is ridiculously easy to solo to 14 at least. Once you get bind, it's easy street. Even if you can't find worms.

WHM with some meat and a good hammer can do the same. Not as fast as BLM perhaps, but still pretty well.

Down with level 10 Dunes parties!

[Ellipses]

Re: 1-10 Mage leveling

Well, there's "easy" as in "doesn't require skill." And then there's "easy" as in "caters to my short attention span." I don't think most people find soloing pre-20 difficult, just boring, like Samarium said.

[Murphie]

Re: 1-10 Mage leveling

Well, leveling BLM that far is both no skill required and swift. Seriously. One or two spells and the mob was down. I could take out mobs up to EM (and T if they were worms) with no problems. The levels flew by.

WHM requires a bit more grinding, but I'll take some tedium over standing around and dying a lot in a lizard party.

[samarium]

Re: 1-10 Mage leveling

Well, there's "easy" as in "doesn't require skill." And then there's "easy" as in "caters to my short attention span." I don't think most people find soloing pre-20 difficult, just boring, like Samarium said.

Yeah. Soloing with Bind is easy, but I have very little patience for tedium. You should watch me NM camp.

"Is it up? No? /ma Warp"

I'll make my money doing BCNMs, thank you.

-sam

[Murphie]

Re: 1-10 Mage leveling

Yeah. Soloing with Bind is easy, but I have very little patience for tedium. You should watch me NM camp.

"Is it up? No? /ma Warp"

I'll make my money doing BCNMs, thank you.

-sam

Heh. I have no patience for camping either. "OMG it's been five minutes! This is so boring. /logout"

The only reason I advocate soloing that long even as a mage, is because I've found that unless you get really lucky, your exp is not going to be any faster in one of the low range Dunes parties. In fact, it will often be slower.