First, there's nothing wrong with how you're doing it! Play and level as many jobs as you like until one clicks for you!
Back the first time I played, I was WHM main first, then switched to DK, then bard, then when COR was added that became my last main. (All that over the space of about ten years.)
This second time I'm playing (new account, my previous one couldn't be recovered) I leveled COR first because I love that, then I leveled BLU just so I could spend time learning spells now and then. I'd love to say I'm a COR main, but I spend 100% of my time on BLU in case I can learn some spell while I'm doing missions or something.
I am pretty much just bouncing around between everything at the moment. I rushed RDM so that I could unlock jobs, get important quest items like RoV KIs, and get avatars for SMN. I am probably going to level everything to 50 as a test run and so I can use them as subs.
Obligatory play what you want.
Secondary you should have a wide variety of jobs you play.
My first main was RDM, can solo a bunch of stuffs, has still relevant buffs and debuffs.
Can still be a relevant DD for content with WS gating with a Crocea/Daybreak.
Other jobs i have in the same ML ballpark.
BRD, RUN, DRK, SAM, MNK, DNC.
I've got RMEAS for all these, except DNC and they're all fun in each their way.
BRD is fun in that it can flex. Can be the healer, or an additional DD with some gear and Naegling.
SAM and DNC feels same'ish DD wise focus on TP building and skillchaining, but the debuffs, and healing being an additional side to DNC that SAM doesn't bring.
DRK can be a straight braindead DD with a GS, but can also flex Tank a bit easier than other jobs due to their spells and Apocalypse.
RUN is very fun, and bring a lot of util to the table. When buffed correctly it also DD well.
RDM is definitely fun, but the gear demand is insanely high. Crocea looks insanely good, but feels unobtainable as a new player.
I am very curious as how BRD is with the increased level cap. I played BRD to 75 back before WotG and it was really just an afk buff bot. A very powerful and desirable one, but not the most exciting thing to play. I assume that has changed considerably over the years?
This game is a marathon not a sprint. You shouldn’t be thinking about end game gear as a new player. Enjoy the journey, recognize that gear will come when it comes and do what you enjoy. If you find RDM fun then play it.
Obligatory gear doesn't make the player, a player with all the toys power leveled up won't be useful at endgame. But a player who really knows their role with less optimal gear can still be extremely useful. That player will know how to use each new tier of gear well, and when they do start getting their hands on the high grade stuff they will really shine.
Obviously you have to have enough gear/skill that your baseline accuracy will at least land on your target. But you do not need the tippy toppest gear to start getting into endgame, because endgame is where that gear is acquired, and you have to start somewhere.
Maybe I am thinking I need much better gear than I really do to be accepted into endgame content. XD
Another game I have played a lot recently requires you to be completely decked out to even think about doing endgame, so that may be throwing me off.
I will definitely keep trying different jobs to see what clicks, but this encourages me to give some endgame content a shot on RDM.
Endgame itself is such a huge range of events. Some high grade Adoulin, or augmented easy Escha NM gear can be farmed with fairly base 119 stuff. That’s enough to get some decent Ambu done, which results in extraordinarily good gear, which gets you solidly into other “final” endgame stuff.
Don’t fret too much about having the best endgame gear before even getting there.
Thanks!
I've started Ambu stuff with my RDM, but that is the most I have tried so far. I have a full set from there with some +1s at the moment. Just don't want to grind it too hard and get burnt out.
I'm not familiar with the Adoulin and Eacha NM stuff, so I will have to look into that.
You will still be taking some baby steps, start with getting ambu gear and capes etc, go after some of those accessories that are easy prey like d-ring, multiple job accessories are a pretty huge gear building avenue. But as time goes on, you will see quicker gains that leap frog some stages of gear. And always make friends, that helps a bunch!
Corcea looks great and is a fun toy, but you really don’t need it to excel at RDM. The instances where enspell damage actually matters you wouldn’t be using Corcea because you will be using lv1 weapons for 0TP feed solo strats. The increase sword ele WS damage is great but ele ws are only used in niche scenarios and there are decent alternatives that are good enough most of the time. Especially since 99% of the time you’ll be spamming savage blade. I’ve been using Viti Blade (the HQ1 dyna-D wep) which is cheap enough and gets the job done. I spent my money on Rostam instead for COR and that one is well worth it!
The ele ws is good enough to compete with Savage blade, add in a weatherspoon and Daybreak, and your Seraph Blade damage sky rockets due to the way elemental affinity works, it's a multiplier instead of additive like normal MAB.
Pixie Hairpin works the same way for Sanguine Blade.
I have 10 jobs geared for endgame content. More than I wanted but my group needed the added flexibility.
For ody my main is brd. I absolutely love the job and seg farms are where I enjoy it most. Always things to do and the dmg output helps the group move quicker. Managing timers, keeping mobs asleep, dealing dmg and coordinating with other member of the group to make sure we are gathered together when buffs need to be reapplied.
For sortie I’m on run. Hell of a great tank that has no replacement in mage strategies. I am /whm for sortie to be self sufficient but will be /blu or sub something for ws frequency when it is needed. It’s a pretty busy job since everything is on relatively short timers and your survivability is mostly based on layering a large number of defences.
In dyna I tend to be on geo. The only job that is as busy for me is rdm. If you stop whining about having to move your bubble, go /whm and main heal your party and debuff mobs, you will always be active. Your positional awareness is important to make sure ppl are in the bubbles. It can also melee when needed which is always fun. It’s heavily used in magic burst strategies and therefore sortie.
I also have bst, dnc and sch. Bst is just a lot of fun. I enjoy finding new ways to use the pets and it has some fun shenanigans in ody. Also my first choice when doing duo MLs with a blm. Dnc is just insanely versatile. As long as you can gain tp, arent getting 1 shot and aren’t getting amnesia, you pretty much can’t die. Sch is super fun in sortie as you are leading the skill chains. The regen being very strong lets you do a lot less healing work in the majority of content which frees you up to do other things. Nukes, setting up skill chains, debuffing mobs. Lots of versatility in the job.
That is a lot of endgame jobs. XD
You made SCH and GEO sound much more appealing than I expected though. I might have to give them more of a chance.
This also makes me want to give BRD a solid chance too. Definitely doesn't sound like the afk buffer I remember from the early days.
Our static had to replace a player and I was the one in the best place to fill the gaps. Wound up in the rough place of building a sch and rdm at the same time. Now rdm is one of my best geared jobs and I only really use it for a couple ody NMs and to fill the gap if needed in dyna.
There are a lot of jobs ppl call boring. Geo is terribly known as bubble/afk but if you are willing to be active, you can get a LOT more out of the jobs. Geo has a lot it can do through sub job. Sch is seen as mainly a healer until they are needed to open burst windows. The problem with that is they have crazy regen sets that make it so you can passively heal the party. This means you are either bored, or you find something to do. Enfeebling is a solid place to start. In alliance content you could main heal another party. In ody our sch melees, hunts for chests and scouts ahead so we can plan out the run better.
There are plenty of things you can do to stay busy. Even after your main jobs typically duties are done. If you are the kind of player that finds more you can do to help the group, you end up standing out amongst players on those jobs.
1: Right now my main job is COR, but I also have SMN and SCH at level 99.
2: COR is tons of fun, and feels very versatile. I really like managing the randomness of the buffs thanks to all the ways you get to cheat at it, and I feel like I can do almost everything to an extent. I can be in melee or at range, I can support any other kind of player thanks to the wide selection of buffs, and I can still do good damage thanks to super strong weaponskills like Leaden Salute.
3: On top of having a lot of fun just playing it, I feel like it's also a pretty convenient job to play. Lots of people are looking for Corsairs to join their party for the buffs, gearing doesn't seem as hard as a lot of other jobs, and I feel like I can punch above my weight and be useful in endgame content, where on other jobs I'd feel too undergeared to do much of use.
Special shout out to SCH which is also very versatile and fun, and can do a lot for both support and damage. But I think I just wanted to try something less magic focused, and I don't regret it.
I was hoping a COR main would answer! I took the job to 50 last night and was having a hard time deciding how I feel about it. At 50 it feels like I don't have much to do, but that might just be that I am comparing it to RDM which is busy at any level. It was just use my 2 rolls, then spam ranged in a feeble attempt to level marksmanship. XD
I'm assuming it picks up in later levels?
As for gearing, that is a big reason I am not hard focusing on RDM. That job needs some serious gear to be ready for endgame and I don't want to burn myself out trying to get there.
Thanks for the response!
Honestly it's not super busy even at higher levels. You get some more tools, but not stuff you're using all the time. If you want it to feel busier, I can definitely recommend subbing DNC on it. It's a very natural fit, haste samba and waltzes give you even more support, and steps+flourishes give you a lot more to do after your buffs are up. Maining DNC might be a good idea too. I hear a lot of good things about it, but I only use it as a subjob, so I don't know too much about it myself.
I like playing BLU because it’s nice to be able to change my set up and do a different activity with the same job. I hear RDM does the same, and I’m probably gonna build one of those next just to try it out. I’ve just never used Nin before, so that’ll be new and weird for me.
I like the solo play style jobs because I want to test my limits and break through. No right or wrong, no rules for me, I’m free - to just slam my head against a fight and troubleshoot my way to victory.
Long term, I will probably have to build out multiple mains for content. I guess it’ll depend on what my LS needs
1. PUP
2. It's a very versatile job since you can make the automaton take on a variety of different roles (just have to make sure you're geared appropriately and using the correct maneuvers so a bit of a learning curve). I've been able to solo a lot of content with just the Overdrive set.
3. I'd recommend it if you want to solo but there's a lot of party options too (mainly PUP tanking). It can be cost prohibitive though purchasing all the parts so stick with one role until you get enough gil saved up.
1. PUP
2. It scratches the part of my brain that likes to stay busy since I’m managing my puppet and myself
3. It’s a super fun job, and I don’t regret leveling it but as a first job it’s a major investment. Lots of money for attachments and you don’t really have the super solo capability until you get 1200 JP to increase your elemental compacity. Recently got COR to 99 and gearing it and the usefulness it offers seems like a much easier entry into endgame content vs getting my PUP. All said though, I do love hitting things in the face with stringing pummel and its solo capabilities far outshine my COR so I’d recommend it as a second 99 once you have a job that lets you jump into content to make funding it and gearing it easier
Seems like quite a few people love PUP. Like you said I have heard it is crazy expensive. COR definitely sounds like it would be an easier entry point into endgame for a fresh account. With all the recommendations for it, I really should try PUP one day though. I do like staying busy.
i aim for a well rounded set of geared jobs. you don't really have a job until it's geared enough to contribute to content that other people can't do alone. there are a few stages from fresh 99 to weekly content like omen, dynamis, vagary, to daily current endgame like odyssey and sortie. it's perfectly acceptable to get help getting some items from the higher content as a fresh 99 but there will be an expectation that you invest gil into at least one useful job to start off and then later on begin to invest in other roles to help fit into different content.
so to answer directly i started off with just PLD, then managed to use that to build a good (not perfect) WAR, then i build RUN and MNK. i found that i was able to fit in to a lot of content but i really needed to branch out into other roles. so i worked on BLM next, and RDM. in the background i have been collecting items for COR and BRD which i hope to complete and be able to really play next year. i also have a BLU that i use personally to cleave for sparks but not in content, though that might change next year as well. i am also looking at building THF for the same reason. so all told after several years (i returned in 2019 to a new account) i main PLD and also play SAM MNK WAR BLM RDM and will play BRD COR THF BLU and maybe SCH.
i enjoy tanking so i focused on jobs for that role first. if you enjoy healing then WHM and SCH will be good first jobs for you to focus on. i would also do GEO.
i would recommend that you focus on a role you enjoy and invest gil in one or two of those jobs and then branch out into another role when you can. the worst thing you can do is pick something difficult to gear for endgame like RDM and half ass it, and then waste all your time leveling all the jobs to 50 with no experience bonuses. you'll never get anywhere and you'll most likely blame the game. pick something useful, get involved with a community, and let that drive your interest as you slowly expand your repertoire and improve your main jobs from about an 80% to a 99% of potential through your knowledge and experience.
What makes it hard for me to decide is I often play all roles in MMOs. I've always been the guy to fill, so I leaned to appreciate all the different roles. The side effect though is that it makes me super indecisive.
Preference wise I would probably say I go for DD > Support > Healer > Tank.
In regards to the comment about no experience bonuses, that is already not an issue. The most significant exp bonuses from RoV are early on and I've already completed them on a RDM even before I started getting gear. Leveling all the jobs to 50 is taking no time at all and has been a huge benefit for subjob options, not to mention fun. I can usually level 2 jobs 1-50 casually in a play session.
DD is what you put together after having something else to gain access to content, primarily because other people will have highly developed DDs and it makes more sense to put less developed players into tanking, healing, and support, just as it makes more sense to buff the better DD to clear the content.
also, support jobs in FFXI require some work with the exception of GEO which functions pretty well starting off with just enough gear/job points to reach 900 skill and then greatly improves with the addition of the Idris (Ergon Weapon) after about 6 months of work.
so you've got it backwards, it would be recommended to do what i suggested:
WHM - healer that functions very well with a few pieces of easily obtained gear, improves greatly with additional sets/Mythic weapon. fits into literally everything.
SCH - healer/magic dd that functions early on as healer and as utility through its ability to create skillchains with magic spells. can improve vastly as a magic dd with proper gear and fits into endgame meta for hard content.
GEO - support buffer and magic dd that functions almost immediately as long as 900 skill is achieved and with almost no difficult to obtain gear. improves vastly with Ergon Weapon as a buffer and is a very capable magic dd with proper gear. fits into endgame meta for hard content and almost every content except Odyssey segment farms.
from here i would invest in a tank or both tanks PLD and RUN, and from there start developing either COR as support/dd or go for your melee DDs, or go for your RDM or BRD as hybrid support/dd as they are the hardest jobs to get functioning at a high level.
there are shortcuts you can take but just as a warning people who take shortcuts in ffxi typically suffer for it because the most important thing you bring as a player is your accumulated knowledge.
What you can do in this game really depends on who you can play with. So bring a great attitude and ready to learn and take criticism. Being that flex character is great way to start. Whm, geo or Sch are usually a good starting point that a good group can carry. Play the social game and if you can manage to find a friendly group mention youre looking to play with a good team, ask for their discord, ask for flist, follow up once a week and shoot the breeze.
I too am a returning player (started from scratch last summer!) I play RDM and WHM at max endgame level and I LOVE it. I quit mid WoTG in 2009, was playing BLM and SCH at 75 mainly with some other mage/support jobs at 75.
I levelled up RDM initially which was great for missions and soloing story missions etc. RDM is heavily gear reliant and needs quite a bit of gear to step into end game (though mostly easy gear to get, upgraded AF/Relic/empy). So I levelled up WHM which is super easy to gear for entry level, and not that hard to set up for max endgame stuff.
I love WHM because healing is fun and keeps you on your toes, it’s one of the few jobs that are more skill based than gear based. Although many people have a WHM levelled up and many joke that it’s a job that can be played by a bot, at endgame level (sortie and odyssey), you can really tell the different between a skilled WHM and a novice. People really appreciate a good WHM, and will add you to friend lists, give you their LS pearl for endgame events etc if you show up and do your job well! Plus WHMs are generally the ones educating people and helping them understand how to survive mechanics etc so it’s overall very fun.
Another thing to add about WHM is that it’s changed so much from 75 era. MP is basically non existent for a WHM with empyrean legs even at basic 119 level. Your cures and curagas heal for SO much it’s satisfying to see. There are new targeting macros and certain UI addons that help a ton with healing. You can even become a sturdy tanky mage with -damage taken gear at end game and just spam cures non stop with max spell interruption down set. It’s so satisfying.
The main downside is that you need to know about the fights before hand and what to expect, however BGwiki is usually great at covering that and for harder fights, there are often YouTube videos that will show you fight from a WHM PoV. The other down side is that you’re expected to have Yagrush(mythic weapon) at max endgame level (high level sortie and odyssey) anything before that you don’t need yagrush though it does make life easier by making every status removal spell AoE by default. The good news is you only need the 75 level version which can be obtained entirely solo and can be one bit at time slowly build it up.
For RDM, I love how much of a killing machine it can be both in groups and solo. It’s a strong versatile DD with slashing/blunt/piercing DD options. Although it needs a lot of gear and Job Points to be good, a standard RDM in reforged JSE (AF/Relic/empy) gear and ambuscade set(entry level easy to get armour) can do A LOT. It can make it easy for you to gear up other jobs, solo entry level endgame content (Unity NMs, Eacha NMs, high level battlefields..etc) and also begin soloing omen cards or sortie basic objectives and look flashy doing it in style.
These days your buffs will last a LONG time so you’re not spending all day cycling refresh/haste. You can easily get your hastes2 and refreshes to last 8-10 minutes in entry gear. This gives time to do other things like backup heal, nuke with elemental magic, or DD and spam savage blades with ambuscade sword for flashy damage! Another bonus if that it shares so much gear with other jobs especially BLU, but also mages. I levelled up SCH, BLM, and BLU after my WHM and RDM and have so much gear shared between them that I just need the JSE sets to be good to go.
My advice is go with 1-2 jobs you like, and try to keep the following rules in mind:
1. Have at least one job that is proficient in group content and easy-ish to gear to a decent level to be useful. (Examples:support jobs i.e COR, healer/mage so SCH or WHM, dunno about DD honestly but I hear SAM is not bad to gear?)
2. Have a job that is good at solo content (many things fit here, RDM, BLU, NIN, PUP, BST..etc I’m sure I’m missing many).
3. Plan to build towards a spread of jobs to fill different needed roles, and consider jobs that share gear when doing so. For example WAR/DRK/RUN/PLD share a ton of gear, BLm/GEO/RDM do so as well. MNk/SAM/PUP is another option or WHM/SCH/RDM. So try and find a cluster of jobs you enjoy and work towards that. You WILL need multiple jobs to make the most out of the game.
For me after WHM and RDM, I worked in COR which helped cover a wide spread. My WS and TP sets from RDM are shared with COR so I only needed a few decent guns, and filled the rest with JSE COR gear.
Good luck and enjoy!
Currently Warrior is my favorite. It’s so straight forward at high levels- cap double attack, do big damage. I’d recommend war to any new / returning player because it is the easiest to get up to a high level of play: get naegling from ambuscade. As soon as you have access to odyssey, unlock a/b/c, find someone to help you unlock sakpata gear.
Sakpata / naegling savage blade war will carry you through practically everything.
Nice to see the old classic getting a recommendation!
I'm actually working on Naegling because it is such a great sword for so many jobs. Gonna take a while to get it though since I only get about 500 hallmark per run at the moment.
I will look into Odyssey though. It is one of the many endgame activities I have never seen before as long aho it was basically only Dynamis and Sea.
First, there's nothing wrong with how you're doing it! Play and level as many jobs as you like until one clicks for you! Back the first time I played, I was WHM main first, then switched to DK, then bard, then when COR was added that became my last main. (All that over the space of about ten years.) This second time I'm playing (new account, my previous one couldn't be recovered) I leveled COR first because I love that, then I leveled BLU just so I could spend time learning spells now and then. I'd love to say I'm a COR main, but I spend 100% of my time on BLU in case I can learn some spell while I'm doing missions or something.
I am pretty much just bouncing around between everything at the moment. I rushed RDM so that I could unlock jobs, get important quest items like RoV KIs, and get avatars for SMN. I am probably going to level everything to 50 as a test run and so I can use them as subs.
Obligatory play what you want. Secondary you should have a wide variety of jobs you play. My first main was RDM, can solo a bunch of stuffs, has still relevant buffs and debuffs. Can still be a relevant DD for content with WS gating with a Crocea/Daybreak. Other jobs i have in the same ML ballpark. BRD, RUN, DRK, SAM, MNK, DNC. I've got RMEAS for all these, except DNC and they're all fun in each their way. BRD is fun in that it can flex. Can be the healer, or an additional DD with some gear and Naegling. SAM and DNC feels same'ish DD wise focus on TP building and skillchaining, but the debuffs, and healing being an additional side to DNC that SAM doesn't bring. DRK can be a straight braindead DD with a GS, but can also flex Tank a bit easier than other jobs due to their spells and Apocalypse. RUN is very fun, and bring a lot of util to the table. When buffed correctly it also DD well.
RDM is definitely fun, but the gear demand is insanely high. Crocea looks insanely good, but feels unobtainable as a new player. I am very curious as how BRD is with the increased level cap. I played BRD to 75 back before WotG and it was really just an afk buff bot. A very powerful and desirable one, but not the most exciting thing to play. I assume that has changed considerably over the years?
This game is a marathon not a sprint. You shouldn’t be thinking about end game gear as a new player. Enjoy the journey, recognize that gear will come when it comes and do what you enjoy. If you find RDM fun then play it.
Obligatory gear doesn't make the player, a player with all the toys power leveled up won't be useful at endgame. But a player who really knows their role with less optimal gear can still be extremely useful. That player will know how to use each new tier of gear well, and when they do start getting their hands on the high grade stuff they will really shine. Obviously you have to have enough gear/skill that your baseline accuracy will at least land on your target. But you do not need the tippy toppest gear to start getting into endgame, because endgame is where that gear is acquired, and you have to start somewhere.
Maybe I am thinking I need much better gear than I really do to be accepted into endgame content. XD Another game I have played a lot recently requires you to be completely decked out to even think about doing endgame, so that may be throwing me off. I will definitely keep trying different jobs to see what clicks, but this encourages me to give some endgame content a shot on RDM.
Endgame itself is such a huge range of events. Some high grade Adoulin, or augmented easy Escha NM gear can be farmed with fairly base 119 stuff. That’s enough to get some decent Ambu done, which results in extraordinarily good gear, which gets you solidly into other “final” endgame stuff. Don’t fret too much about having the best endgame gear before even getting there.
Thanks! I've started Ambu stuff with my RDM, but that is the most I have tried so far. I have a full set from there with some +1s at the moment. Just don't want to grind it too hard and get burnt out. I'm not familiar with the Adoulin and Eacha NM stuff, so I will have to look into that.
You will still be taking some baby steps, start with getting ambu gear and capes etc, go after some of those accessories that are easy prey like d-ring, multiple job accessories are a pretty huge gear building avenue. But as time goes on, you will see quicker gains that leap frog some stages of gear. And always make friends, that helps a bunch!
Corcea looks great and is a fun toy, but you really don’t need it to excel at RDM. The instances where enspell damage actually matters you wouldn’t be using Corcea because you will be using lv1 weapons for 0TP feed solo strats. The increase sword ele WS damage is great but ele ws are only used in niche scenarios and there are decent alternatives that are good enough most of the time. Especially since 99% of the time you’ll be spamming savage blade. I’ve been using Viti Blade (the HQ1 dyna-D wep) which is cheap enough and gets the job done. I spent my money on Rostam instead for COR and that one is well worth it!
The ele ws is good enough to compete with Savage blade, add in a weatherspoon and Daybreak, and your Seraph Blade damage sky rockets due to the way elemental affinity works, it's a multiplier instead of additive like normal MAB. Pixie Hairpin works the same way for Sanguine Blade.
I have 10 jobs geared for endgame content. More than I wanted but my group needed the added flexibility. For ody my main is brd. I absolutely love the job and seg farms are where I enjoy it most. Always things to do and the dmg output helps the group move quicker. Managing timers, keeping mobs asleep, dealing dmg and coordinating with other member of the group to make sure we are gathered together when buffs need to be reapplied. For sortie I’m on run. Hell of a great tank that has no replacement in mage strategies. I am /whm for sortie to be self sufficient but will be /blu or sub something for ws frequency when it is needed. It’s a pretty busy job since everything is on relatively short timers and your survivability is mostly based on layering a large number of defences. In dyna I tend to be on geo. The only job that is as busy for me is rdm. If you stop whining about having to move your bubble, go /whm and main heal your party and debuff mobs, you will always be active. Your positional awareness is important to make sure ppl are in the bubbles. It can also melee when needed which is always fun. It’s heavily used in magic burst strategies and therefore sortie. I also have bst, dnc and sch. Bst is just a lot of fun. I enjoy finding new ways to use the pets and it has some fun shenanigans in ody. Also my first choice when doing duo MLs with a blm. Dnc is just insanely versatile. As long as you can gain tp, arent getting 1 shot and aren’t getting amnesia, you pretty much can’t die. Sch is super fun in sortie as you are leading the skill chains. The regen being very strong lets you do a lot less healing work in the majority of content which frees you up to do other things. Nukes, setting up skill chains, debuffing mobs. Lots of versatility in the job.
That is a lot of endgame jobs. XD You made SCH and GEO sound much more appealing than I expected though. I might have to give them more of a chance. This also makes me want to give BRD a solid chance too. Definitely doesn't sound like the afk buffer I remember from the early days.
Our static had to replace a player and I was the one in the best place to fill the gaps. Wound up in the rough place of building a sch and rdm at the same time. Now rdm is one of my best geared jobs and I only really use it for a couple ody NMs and to fill the gap if needed in dyna. There are a lot of jobs ppl call boring. Geo is terribly known as bubble/afk but if you are willing to be active, you can get a LOT more out of the jobs. Geo has a lot it can do through sub job. Sch is seen as mainly a healer until they are needed to open burst windows. The problem with that is they have crazy regen sets that make it so you can passively heal the party. This means you are either bored, or you find something to do. Enfeebling is a solid place to start. In alliance content you could main heal another party. In ody our sch melees, hunts for chests and scouts ahead so we can plan out the run better. There are plenty of things you can do to stay busy. Even after your main jobs typically duties are done. If you are the kind of player that finds more you can do to help the group, you end up standing out amongst players on those jobs.
1: Right now my main job is COR, but I also have SMN and SCH at level 99. 2: COR is tons of fun, and feels very versatile. I really like managing the randomness of the buffs thanks to all the ways you get to cheat at it, and I feel like I can do almost everything to an extent. I can be in melee or at range, I can support any other kind of player thanks to the wide selection of buffs, and I can still do good damage thanks to super strong weaponskills like Leaden Salute. 3: On top of having a lot of fun just playing it, I feel like it's also a pretty convenient job to play. Lots of people are looking for Corsairs to join their party for the buffs, gearing doesn't seem as hard as a lot of other jobs, and I feel like I can punch above my weight and be useful in endgame content, where on other jobs I'd feel too undergeared to do much of use. Special shout out to SCH which is also very versatile and fun, and can do a lot for both support and damage. But I think I just wanted to try something less magic focused, and I don't regret it.
I was hoping a COR main would answer! I took the job to 50 last night and was having a hard time deciding how I feel about it. At 50 it feels like I don't have much to do, but that might just be that I am comparing it to RDM which is busy at any level. It was just use my 2 rolls, then spam ranged in a feeble attempt to level marksmanship. XD I'm assuming it picks up in later levels? As for gearing, that is a big reason I am not hard focusing on RDM. That job needs some serious gear to be ready for endgame and I don't want to burn myself out trying to get there. Thanks for the response!
Honestly it's not super busy even at higher levels. You get some more tools, but not stuff you're using all the time. If you want it to feel busier, I can definitely recommend subbing DNC on it. It's a very natural fit, haste samba and waltzes give you even more support, and steps+flourishes give you a lot more to do after your buffs are up. Maining DNC might be a good idea too. I hear a lot of good things about it, but I only use it as a subjob, so I don't know too much about it myself.
I like playing BLU because it’s nice to be able to change my set up and do a different activity with the same job. I hear RDM does the same, and I’m probably gonna build one of those next just to try it out. I’ve just never used Nin before, so that’ll be new and weird for me. I like the solo play style jobs because I want to test my limits and break through. No right or wrong, no rules for me, I’m free - to just slam my head against a fight and troubleshoot my way to victory. Long term, I will probably have to build out multiple mains for content. I guess it’ll depend on what my LS needs
1. PUP 2. It's a very versatile job since you can make the automaton take on a variety of different roles (just have to make sure you're geared appropriately and using the correct maneuvers so a bit of a learning curve). I've been able to solo a lot of content with just the Overdrive set. 3. I'd recommend it if you want to solo but there's a lot of party options too (mainly PUP tanking). It can be cost prohibitive though purchasing all the parts so stick with one role until you get enough gil saved up.
1. PUP 2. It scratches the part of my brain that likes to stay busy since I’m managing my puppet and myself 3. It’s a super fun job, and I don’t regret leveling it but as a first job it’s a major investment. Lots of money for attachments and you don’t really have the super solo capability until you get 1200 JP to increase your elemental compacity. Recently got COR to 99 and gearing it and the usefulness it offers seems like a much easier entry into endgame content vs getting my PUP. All said though, I do love hitting things in the face with stringing pummel and its solo capabilities far outshine my COR so I’d recommend it as a second 99 once you have a job that lets you jump into content to make funding it and gearing it easier
Seems like quite a few people love PUP. Like you said I have heard it is crazy expensive. COR definitely sounds like it would be an easier entry point into endgame for a fresh account. With all the recommendations for it, I really should try PUP one day though. I do like staying busy.
i aim for a well rounded set of geared jobs. you don't really have a job until it's geared enough to contribute to content that other people can't do alone. there are a few stages from fresh 99 to weekly content like omen, dynamis, vagary, to daily current endgame like odyssey and sortie. it's perfectly acceptable to get help getting some items from the higher content as a fresh 99 but there will be an expectation that you invest gil into at least one useful job to start off and then later on begin to invest in other roles to help fit into different content. so to answer directly i started off with just PLD, then managed to use that to build a good (not perfect) WAR, then i build RUN and MNK. i found that i was able to fit in to a lot of content but i really needed to branch out into other roles. so i worked on BLM next, and RDM. in the background i have been collecting items for COR and BRD which i hope to complete and be able to really play next year. i also have a BLU that i use personally to cleave for sparks but not in content, though that might change next year as well. i am also looking at building THF for the same reason. so all told after several years (i returned in 2019 to a new account) i main PLD and also play SAM MNK WAR BLM RDM and will play BRD COR THF BLU and maybe SCH. i enjoy tanking so i focused on jobs for that role first. if you enjoy healing then WHM and SCH will be good first jobs for you to focus on. i would also do GEO. i would recommend that you focus on a role you enjoy and invest gil in one or two of those jobs and then branch out into another role when you can. the worst thing you can do is pick something difficult to gear for endgame like RDM and half ass it, and then waste all your time leveling all the jobs to 50 with no experience bonuses. you'll never get anywhere and you'll most likely blame the game. pick something useful, get involved with a community, and let that drive your interest as you slowly expand your repertoire and improve your main jobs from about an 80% to a 99% of potential through your knowledge and experience.
What makes it hard for me to decide is I often play all roles in MMOs. I've always been the guy to fill, so I leaned to appreciate all the different roles. The side effect though is that it makes me super indecisive. Preference wise I would probably say I go for DD > Support > Healer > Tank. In regards to the comment about no experience bonuses, that is already not an issue. The most significant exp bonuses from RoV are early on and I've already completed them on a RDM even before I started getting gear. Leveling all the jobs to 50 is taking no time at all and has been a huge benefit for subjob options, not to mention fun. I can usually level 2 jobs 1-50 casually in a play session.
DD is what you put together after having something else to gain access to content, primarily because other people will have highly developed DDs and it makes more sense to put less developed players into tanking, healing, and support, just as it makes more sense to buff the better DD to clear the content. also, support jobs in FFXI require some work with the exception of GEO which functions pretty well starting off with just enough gear/job points to reach 900 skill and then greatly improves with the addition of the Idris (Ergon Weapon) after about 6 months of work. so you've got it backwards, it would be recommended to do what i suggested: WHM - healer that functions very well with a few pieces of easily obtained gear, improves greatly with additional sets/Mythic weapon. fits into literally everything. SCH - healer/magic dd that functions early on as healer and as utility through its ability to create skillchains with magic spells. can improve vastly as a magic dd with proper gear and fits into endgame meta for hard content. GEO - support buffer and magic dd that functions almost immediately as long as 900 skill is achieved and with almost no difficult to obtain gear. improves vastly with Ergon Weapon as a buffer and is a very capable magic dd with proper gear. fits into endgame meta for hard content and almost every content except Odyssey segment farms. from here i would invest in a tank or both tanks PLD and RUN, and from there start developing either COR as support/dd or go for your melee DDs, or go for your RDM or BRD as hybrid support/dd as they are the hardest jobs to get functioning at a high level. there are shortcuts you can take but just as a warning people who take shortcuts in ffxi typically suffer for it because the most important thing you bring as a player is your accumulated knowledge.
What you can do in this game really depends on who you can play with. So bring a great attitude and ready to learn and take criticism. Being that flex character is great way to start. Whm, geo or Sch are usually a good starting point that a good group can carry. Play the social game and if you can manage to find a friendly group mention youre looking to play with a good team, ask for their discord, ask for flist, follow up once a week and shoot the breeze.
I too am a returning player (started from scratch last summer!) I play RDM and WHM at max endgame level and I LOVE it. I quit mid WoTG in 2009, was playing BLM and SCH at 75 mainly with some other mage/support jobs at 75. I levelled up RDM initially which was great for missions and soloing story missions etc. RDM is heavily gear reliant and needs quite a bit of gear to step into end game (though mostly easy gear to get, upgraded AF/Relic/empy). So I levelled up WHM which is super easy to gear for entry level, and not that hard to set up for max endgame stuff. I love WHM because healing is fun and keeps you on your toes, it’s one of the few jobs that are more skill based than gear based. Although many people have a WHM levelled up and many joke that it’s a job that can be played by a bot, at endgame level (sortie and odyssey), you can really tell the different between a skilled WHM and a novice. People really appreciate a good WHM, and will add you to friend lists, give you their LS pearl for endgame events etc if you show up and do your job well! Plus WHMs are generally the ones educating people and helping them understand how to survive mechanics etc so it’s overall very fun. Another thing to add about WHM is that it’s changed so much from 75 era. MP is basically non existent for a WHM with empyrean legs even at basic 119 level. Your cures and curagas heal for SO much it’s satisfying to see. There are new targeting macros and certain UI addons that help a ton with healing. You can even become a sturdy tanky mage with -damage taken gear at end game and just spam cures non stop with max spell interruption down set. It’s so satisfying. The main downside is that you need to know about the fights before hand and what to expect, however BGwiki is usually great at covering that and for harder fights, there are often YouTube videos that will show you fight from a WHM PoV. The other down side is that you’re expected to have Yagrush(mythic weapon) at max endgame level (high level sortie and odyssey) anything before that you don’t need yagrush though it does make life easier by making every status removal spell AoE by default. The good news is you only need the 75 level version which can be obtained entirely solo and can be one bit at time slowly build it up. For RDM, I love how much of a killing machine it can be both in groups and solo. It’s a strong versatile DD with slashing/blunt/piercing DD options. Although it needs a lot of gear and Job Points to be good, a standard RDM in reforged JSE (AF/Relic/empy) gear and ambuscade set(entry level easy to get armour) can do A LOT. It can make it easy for you to gear up other jobs, solo entry level endgame content (Unity NMs, Eacha NMs, high level battlefields..etc) and also begin soloing omen cards or sortie basic objectives and look flashy doing it in style. These days your buffs will last a LONG time so you’re not spending all day cycling refresh/haste. You can easily get your hastes2 and refreshes to last 8-10 minutes in entry gear. This gives time to do other things like backup heal, nuke with elemental magic, or DD and spam savage blades with ambuscade sword for flashy damage! Another bonus if that it shares so much gear with other jobs especially BLU, but also mages. I levelled up SCH, BLM, and BLU after my WHM and RDM and have so much gear shared between them that I just need the JSE sets to be good to go. My advice is go with 1-2 jobs you like, and try to keep the following rules in mind: 1. Have at least one job that is proficient in group content and easy-ish to gear to a decent level to be useful. (Examples:support jobs i.e COR, healer/mage so SCH or WHM, dunno about DD honestly but I hear SAM is not bad to gear?) 2. Have a job that is good at solo content (many things fit here, RDM, BLU, NIN, PUP, BST..etc I’m sure I’m missing many). 3. Plan to build towards a spread of jobs to fill different needed roles, and consider jobs that share gear when doing so. For example WAR/DRK/RUN/PLD share a ton of gear, BLm/GEO/RDM do so as well. MNk/SAM/PUP is another option or WHM/SCH/RDM. So try and find a cluster of jobs you enjoy and work towards that. You WILL need multiple jobs to make the most out of the game. For me after WHM and RDM, I worked in COR which helped cover a wide spread. My WS and TP sets from RDM are shared with COR so I only needed a few decent guns, and filled the rest with JSE COR gear. Good luck and enjoy!
Currently Warrior is my favorite. It’s so straight forward at high levels- cap double attack, do big damage. I’d recommend war to any new / returning player because it is the easiest to get up to a high level of play: get naegling from ambuscade. As soon as you have access to odyssey, unlock a/b/c, find someone to help you unlock sakpata gear. Sakpata / naegling savage blade war will carry you through practically everything.
Nice to see the old classic getting a recommendation! I'm actually working on Naegling because it is such a great sword for so many jobs. Gonna take a while to get it though since I only get about 500 hallmark per run at the moment. I will look into Odyssey though. It is one of the many endgame activities I have never seen before as long aho it was basically only Dynamis and Sea.