A few dumb questions that need answering.

[Dux]

Morning All.

I don't actually have FFXI yet as ncsx is shipping it to me as I type (Horrah). I only found this site yesterday so the terminology is a bit new, specifically what is a Pusher and a Tank? The rest I have managed to work out.

Anyhoo. I am this close --> <-- to picking white mage as my main job. As I understand it this essentially mean low HP, high MP, lots of heal spells lots of enemy DEF down, team ATP up style spells and hiding your little tarua ass in the corner whilst all the big scary monster get whacked. What I don't fully understand is the impact of the "sub-job".

I am guessing that you get to select a sub-job when you create a character and at various/any point in the game you can switch subjob? The selection of this subjob then has a small impact on your stats and the spells you can learn at that time? So here are the dumb question.

1) I am creating a new character . I select WHM and I select a subjob of Red Mage. I gain I don't know say 20 levels then switch to a Black Mage Sub Job.

a) I don't understand how somebody actually gains a spell. Do you learn them when u hit certain levels, or when you find "scrolls" or do you get taught them by Wise Masters?

b) I am guessing I would have learnt some form of Red Mage spell by the time I hit level 20 so do I retain the Red Mage Spells I learnt if I decided to start the Black Mage subjob?

c) Do the Red Mage spells I learn once I switch over at level 20 start as if I was a lvl 1 Black Mage or do I learn lvl 20 equivalent black mage spells?

2) If I am a level 20 White Mage with a Black Mage subjob and lets pretend that a True Black Mage (as main job) learns the spells "Mega Killer Ice Attack" at level 21, if my white mage has a sub job of Black Mage will I also learn the Mega Killer Ice Attack when I hit level 21?

And Finally

3) What would be the difference between a WHM with RDM subjob and a RDM with WMH sub-job? This is the dillema that I am current faced with you see. :sweat:

I know this is alot of information but any help would be appreciated.

Cheers All.

[PetriW]

1) You can only pick a main job when you create your character. At level 18 you can do a quest to get the ability to subjob.

a) You can buy or find scrolls, when you use the scroll you learn the spell.

b) If you change jobs you dont lose any spells but you need to be high enough level to use the spell.

c) Spells are level based, when you start a new job you are level one. Subjobs are only half the level of your main job. Ie, if you are level 20 whm / 10 blm and make blm you main job you'll now be 10 blm / 5 whm, if you change back to whm being your main it'll be level 20 again.
You need to be of a high enough level to learn / use spells so while you still have your old spells you might not be able to use them all until you get high enough level.

2) No, as said above you sobjub is only half the level of your main job, this means you'll get that "Mega Killer Ice Attack" when your whm becomes level 42 (to allow blm 21). At 42 whm that ice attack wont be that mega killer anymore either.

3) I'd suggest you read a WHM and a RDM guide to see what suits your playing style. The subjob is mostly a complement so pick the main job and choose subjob later when you've played the game and understand the basics.

[Vaiyo]

First thing, keep in mind that whatever progress you make on any given job, you retain it whether you sub the said job or make it inactive all together. With that said ...

1A) From what I've been told, you buy spells and learn nothing from simply leveling up in a job.
1B) Yes; you retain all progress (including levels/spells/etc) made for each individual job. Say you start out with your WHM/RDM and got to 30/15, but decided to switch things around to RDM/WHM instead ... now you're only capable of being 15/7; once you switch it back to WHM/RDM again, you'll be able to become 30/15 again.
1C) Each job is individualized. Consider the above situation, where normally you'd know level 30 WHM spells and 15 RDM spells, if you sub WHM to RDM, you'd be able to continue using your 15th level RDM spells but can only use up to level 7 WHM spells ... now if you gain a RDM level up to 16, you'll be able to use your level 8 WHM spells while having it subbed. Same concept applies to anything else.

2) If your BLM sub-level is 21, then yes you'll be able to use that spell; notice to be able to get to sub-level 21, you'd have to be at least a level 42 WHM; the sub job can only be half of what your main job is.

3) This question is beyond my knowledge; someone with more playing experience is going to have to tackle this one.

- oh and if someone notices that I'm incorrect about anything of the above, feel free to correct me :sweat:

[Lily]

I'll also just add that you get xp only for your main job, so if you're a lvl 20 whm / lvl 8 blm for example, and you keep playing and playing and playing without switching, you might get up to lvl 26 whm but still only be lvl 8 blm. In order to raise your blm, you'd have to switch them around, so that it was your primary job.

Sometimes ppl get confused by the "half the lvl of the main job" thing, and start assuming that it's 'automatically' half the lvl of the main job all the time. Hope that's clear.

But don't worry, if you pick whm, you've got 18 lvls to get, before you have to think about all this.

[Dux]

Well my decision is made.

I have just manually created a table from the Spells and Abilities list and its decided. WHM it is. RDM has some cool spells as does Black Mage but their support techs totally don't cut it.

WHM with RDM Subjob, with a stead migration to BKM followed by Summoner... Well for now anyway.

[Lily]

lol, I didn't realise earlier but Shina, I've seen you in game.

I remember now because you were wearing a doublet, whilst most of the whms I see, myself included, wear the robe type stuff.

Nice to see you here!

[Icemage]

Important point:

You have to be level 18 or higher in at least one job to complete the subjob quest - you don't "start as WHM/RDM". You's start as either WHM or RDM, work your way to 18th level, complete the subjob quest (there are two, both of which do the same thing), then head back to town and switch jobs around.

Also bear in mind that you have to work on each job separately - i.e. if you're a WHM/RDM, your RDM level will not gain any XP - you have to switch to RDM to gain levels in it, then switch back to WHM to see the increased levels.


Icemage

[PetriW]

Yeah, I've stuck with my doublets.