New Inspiring Red Mage

[Decima]

Hey guys, im new to the world of FFXI.
My game is updating right now, and I have about an hour left until I can play.
I was just wondering if there were any tips or anything you could give me to help make my experience as a red mage better.
Ive already figured out that Im gonna be an Elvaan, Redmage, with a subjob of Whitemage, as soon as I get leveled high enough.
So....any comments?

[Medalink]

Re: New Inspiring Red Mage

Best advice, have fun, try new things, dont let others tell you how to play your job after lvl 30 and learn as much as you can as fast as you can.

Welcome to the awsome world of FFXI.

Medalink

[Brayden]

Re: New Inspiring Red Mage

http://www.ffxionline.com/forums/showthread.php?t=6992 >.>

[Pai Pai Master]

Re: New Inspiring Red Mage

Sorry to be off topic, but the word is "aspiring," not "inspiring."



Sorry!

[Altae]

Re: New Inspiring Red Mage

Sorry to be off topic, but the word is "aspiring," not "inspiring."



Sorry!

No! I was gonna say that, but you got to first

Anyway, welcome Decima! Like the other job classes, Red Mage can be a very fun and fulfilling role to play in FFXI. I hope you'll have fun^^

[Zempten]

Re: New Inspiring Red Mage

Don't be too quick to run before you learn to walk

[Decima]

Re: New Inspiring Red Mage

Ok, ive got alot of stuff down now, but I still have a few questions.
Ok, here goes.
1. What are the requirements to get a Subjob?
2. Where the hell can I find scrolls in Sand'Oria? I need to learn more magic!

[TheGrandMom]

Re: New Inspiring Red Mage

You need to reach lvl 18 to get your subjob. Before then, while you are lvling in the Dunes, you can collect the items you need for the quest. Crab apron, skull from a ghoul, and worm from a Damselfly. To open your quest, you talk to a guy in Selbina that stands by the water all the way in the corner. (Sorry don't remember the pos) After you talk to him and get the quest, the next time you talk to him you'll trade him each item. After your done, you'll be able to access a subjob in your Mog House.

The magic shop is in Port San near the residential area. Check your map when your in port and it will show you where it is located.

[Jei]

Re: New Inspiring Red Mage

welcome. wish you best luck and have fun.

[SonikU4ia]

Re: New Inspiring Red Mage

Greetings!

First and foremost, have fun with the job. Do whatever you want and what seems interesting to you and that keeps it worth playing for you.

That being said:

I played RDM to 75 and the majority of it was straight debuffing and support (refresh/haste and nuking). I subbed BLM in the beginning, SMN after 50, and in the 70s I subbed WHM. I was lucky enough to be in a static party for the majority of my job from level 10 until I hit 60 and the static had to break up for irl reasons. From 60-75 was straight pick up pts and, believe me, you will be heavily sought after. I used SMN sub for the bonuses of +1 Refresh tic and the minor few additions to INT, over BLM. Although, I did miss Elemental Seal when I had ADDS. Its up to you on what job to sub and what you deem is most important. Heheh >_> I was a stat twinkie like Red Mage off Brian Clevenger's website, 8bit theater. Post 70, I found I was not fighting many IT+ mobs and I switched my game plan. I got rid of most of my +stat gear and went straight for +MP and the RDM leetist armor (Chausable gear set.) I mostly played Main Healer at this point with a brd, smn, or another rdm backing me up. I didn't mind it at all at this point. You usually kill too fast anyway to warrant the use of full debuffing. I'd toss Gravity and Dia2 for the most part.

You picked RDM, I'm assuming, because you want to be a part of the mage support class and the elite end game soloist crowd! Don't feel bullied or pressured into being a pt's main healer. RDM can do it, yes, but imo you sell yourself short during your RDM career if all you play is main healer type. Only be the main healer if you are with a bard or worst case scenario, another rdm. You may find yourself forced to play main healer if there are no whms around, but imo, its no fun at all to play w/o some refresh going on. You're welcome to do it though, it can just be somewhat stressful in a way. Try to strive for pts where someone else plays main healer (WHM or SMN). Your a RDM. Post 40ish, you may encounter slight problems getting PTS, but believe me, you sure won't after that.

Some advice about Haste: show your melee some love. If you can spare the MP, Haste yourself and at least one of the melee... or if you can spare it, two of the melee in your pt. Let your WHM haste the tank. Your melee will love you to death and you can develop some really good rapport with melee if you keep Haste on them all the time. (I've made friendships with some people like drks and mnks just becuz I hasted them all the time lol.)

If I were to give you some advice on RDM equip... I guess the most important thing would be this: save up money for the elemental staves! They will make your life so much easier after 51. You want all of them preferably so you can cover all your bases on your spells (for both enfeebling and nuking.) However, if you don't have the staves get these preferably in order: Dark Staff (for healing MP and magics like sleep), Light Staff (for improving your heals and your Dia spells), Wind Staff (Gravity and Silence), Ice Staff (Paralyze and Ice Nukes), Earth (Slow and Earth nukes, but usually you may not use Stone magic much), Water (for poison and water magic, but poison is a luxury DoT spell imo), then finally Fire & Thunder come last. You will notice a big difference in your ability to land your enfeebles once you hit 51 and use the ele-staves. If you can afford the HQ versions, do so, because they are fun to use!

RDM food for me consisted of Snoll Gelato for big MP and +MP Heal and Melon Pies +1 for +5 INT. There's others out there with +MND like Goblin Mushpot that gives +10MND too if you wish.

As far as stats, imo pre-70, concentrate on INT/MND first and MP second. INT and MND will play a vital role in helping you land debuffs on your IT + mobs. The Gramary Cape at LV 50 (I think that's the level you equip it, not sure now) is wonderful. Use this over the Red Cape+1. I found it more effective. Its been posted on the forums by a well known Mage Guru (IceMage heh) that Gramary Cape is effective.

You may not like it or find it interesting, but have 2 sets of equipment on hand for INT and MND. On your whm enfeebles, have a few macros to put on your MND equipment and the same for your blm enfeebles and INT equipment. Believe me, I use to think it troublesome to swap out equipment for stats, but it truly helps out alot when trying to get things to stick. Also, more MND will help you hit the breaking point on the Slow spell. Normally its 15% but you can get it to hit the 30% mark if your MND is high enough than the Mobs. That's been tested by Applepie, a notorious RDM who is no longer with us on the forums I believe. Another useful tip: Have a +MP equipment swap ready for your convert so that you can get a free Cure 3 or 4 and Regen after you convert. Swap in MP equipment and covert and use up the extra mp before swapping back to your normal equipment. That's a nice luxury to have.

Don't fall into the trap of using Shock and Burn in xp parties. While, technically, if you were rich, you could help your elemental skill by raising it so you can use elemental debuffs.... in pt, you'll find yourself overworking where you don't need to and still getting resisted. I got into a mess with always trying to use shock and burn to help my enfeebles and nukes... and you'd think such a small amount of time is not worth anything to cast those spells. Well, you'll find yourself constantly casting and probably usually never resting after 40 and convert and every second counts for you as a RDM. But its up to you. I shun away from those spells anymore, and really, after getting elemental skill up and using staves, I still encountered too much resistance from IT+ mobs for my liking.

Learn to be a sleeper. When you get Sleep 1 & 2 (and Sleepga if you sub BLM), always have a macro on standby to enable you to sleep ADDs in a moments notice. You'll be your party's hero if you can control an ADD situation (because usually ppl panic the moment your puller says "I've got an ADD!") I've never confirmed this, but I've found that you can stack Sleep 1 and Sleep 2 together and it makes the mob sleep much longer. You can also stack your sleep 2 over a bards Foe Lullaby. Try it out for yourself.

Always help out your WHM (or SMN) with support curing when necessary. If you sub WHM you can start to use Curaga 1 & 2. Late in game, post 60, curaga helps out tremendously with AoE's that monsters will spam sometimes. Also, Paralyna & Silena will really help out your WHM when you fight stuff like Couerls and Dhalmels. Erase is awesome in the same respects.

Support your pt's nuker with your 1-3 spells. If you can spare the MP and have the moment, nuke on skillchains! Nuking is fun. It helps break the monotony of spamming supports (refresh,haste.) Shy away from the -ga spells. I never found them efficient enough to bother with my time on casting them.

Um... that's all I can think of off the top of my head.

Good luck with your career!

Mish

[Ashi]

Re: New Inspiring Red Mage

Few things off the top of my head, for just the first leg of your journey:

- Get those debuffs in! Dia, Paralyze and Blind are must dos not only in Valkurm, but beyond. Before anything else, debuff debuff debuff! Keep the skill capped and never skip learning a spell. Get Dia in first to maximize its benefits.

- Throw in some cures when needed. Your WHMs won't be perfect... give them a hand.

- When your main duties are done, feel free to whip out the sword and wack away at the mob. Keep your sword updated. You won't be drawing too much hate as a RDM, so armor isn't supremely important, but don't overlook updating it entirely.

- Use Where to Find Scrolls guides posted on here or Allakhazam to find out where you can find scrolls. Some can't simply be bought at the AH or your home town's shops (though at lower levels, most can).

- As you level through Valkurm Dunes to 18, always communicate that you need your sub-job items. Lot on Crab Aprons when fighting Snippers, Damselfly Worms when fighting Damselflies, and towards 18 your parties can start taking on Ghouls for the Magicked Skulls (otherwise, find a higher level friend to go hunting in Gusgen Mines with you). Bring them to Isacio in SE Selbina for your sub job.

- Level WHM to 15, and take RDM to 30. Get some advanced jobs and give them a try, though I always found RDM to be the most enjoyable of them all (I do take Bard breaks though).

Otherwise, have fun and make friends. Don't be silent. By being friendly and doing your job competently, you'll make friends and get Linkshells in no time. Don't just level grind! Explore the world. Do quests. Give others a hand with their quests or items. It enrichens the experience ten-fold.

[munkyhoof]

Re: New Inspiring Red Mage

hehe yeah im new too ... any more tips?
cheers ya'll x