JustMarioBros

Ok guys this is for those of you that still want to know more about the game. This is specifically a FYI about all the Jobs, Races & Guilds there are to choose from in the game. I will list them with a description. If you have any questions/comments go right ahead and post away.

Jobs

Stabdard Jobs


*Black Mage (BLM): (Key Stat-Intelligence) The primary nuking class (Summoners are a close second), the Black Mage is the classic Final Fantasy job class. They are overall the most powerful job class in the game, and many end-game missions, which are incredibly tough to complete in conventional circumstances, are often rendered insignificant by a group of high-level BLMs. The problem is living long enough to get to those higher levels. Unless you know how to reign in that awesome power and restrain yourself to enfeebling spells and using those big elemental spells when they count most (read: During Magic Bursts), you'll pull aggro off your tank and disrupt the careful balance a party must keep between damage and hate control. Black Mages who cast too much will take serious damage, leading to unnecessary curing on the part of the WHM, who will in turn pull aggro, making life very difficult for the tank. If the White Mage goes down, you'll face a lot of downtime, which equals no experience, which means crappy party. A Black Mage is very good to have around in the event of an emergency thanks to the Escape spell, which transports you out of dungeons (although not out of open areas). A BLM sub is also quite convenient because you can Warp to your homepoint as long as your sub is level 17 (naturally you can Warp if your BLM main is 17 as well). An RDM/BLM will find his elemental attack spells do more damage with that sub - as opposed to a WHM subjob - and with the RDM 2-hour move, Chainspell along with Escape can liberate a party to safety much faster than a regular Black Mage can. A later level spell, Stun, is essential for stopping a monster's attacks that could wipe a party. Dark Knights can also learn this spell, though at an earlier level.

*Monk (MNK): (Key Stat-Strength & Mind) Another great melee job, the Monk, as it stands until Square Enix implements their much-heralded job tweaks and balances, is only held back by the lack of party-buffs a Warrior might add (like Warcry). For the most part, the Monk is there to kick enemy ass, with high strength, and steady damage output and fast TP gain. While the Monk gets an HP boost as a built-in job trait, you should try to avoid inviting a Monk to be your main tank, especially if he doesn't have a Warrior sub, or even if he does. Since the Monk can only wear cloth armor, that HP won't stretch very far considering he'll take a lot more damage than Warriors or Paladins would. Monk is also a good starting subjob for Warrior and Thief, with the Boost job ability giving extra punch to Warrior and Thief weaponskills. At level 10, Monks get the "Counter" ability, which occasionally turns an enemy's attack back on itself. Monks don't have as much involvement in end-game activities, besides offering a charged-up Chi Blast, but don't let that stop you from the simple pleasures of punching the crap out of things. Later abilities like Chakra allow a Monk to heal himself, while Focus increases accuracy and Dodge increases evasion. Most melee jobs will switch to a Ninja or Warrior or Thief subjob at higher levels though, so most people usually either abandon Monk after 18, or take it all the way to the top.

*Red Mage (RDM): (Key Stat-Intelligence & Mind) The Red Mage is an interesting class whose primary value to a party isn't quite nearly as obvious as any of the other jobs, especially to low-level players who want to see the bang for their buck. Something of a hybrid between a WHM and a BLM, the Red Mage's trump card is his enfeebling skills. While spells like Paralyze and Silence and Slow might not seem like very cool spells, especially when a spell like Paralyze only occasionally halts an enemy's attack or spell casting, their uses become more apparent as you fight a greater diversity of mobs. Once you're more familiar with which jobs the mobs you fight are (monsters are WAR, MNK, WHM, BLM, DRK, etc. too), you'll realize that Silencing a Black Mage-class mob will prevent it from casting a damaging spell, like Firaga II, on you.
Paralyze can interrupt spellcasting and melee attacks as well, which is incredibly helpful if you have a Ninja who only has Utsusemi: Ichi, the Ninja shadow spell that absorbs damage. A paralyzed mob will help the Ninja cast Ichi, which has a painfully long casting time, and keeping your tank alive is integral to keeping your party alive. While Red Mages can use swords and daggers and clubs (and staves, but receive no staff skill-ups), the best RDM is a casting RDM. If your party wanted damage, they'd invite another Warrior or Samurai. While it's fine to melee, always remember that your enfeebling magic is your priority: Cast first, melee second. What makes the RDM job so interesting (and so busy) is that you can cast offensive magic, and function as a backup healer as well. And once you reach level 41 as an RDM, you'll never lack for party invites, as the RDM-specific Refresh spell is essential to reducing downtime, which equals faster experience. A high-level Red Mage is also a self-sufficient soloing master. The Jedi of FFXI, RDMs with a WHM, BLM, or even a NIN sub can solo many things that would decimate a Paladin of the same level. Stoneskin, Phalanx and Blink sees to that, with Incredibly Tough mobs usually hitting the Red Mage for zero damage.

*Thief (THF): (Key Stat-Dexterity & Agility) The hardest levels for a Thief are probably his first 15, because until then he's just a weak damage class who can't wear the heavy armor. While the horizon past 15 doesn't change much, armor-wise, the damage changes dramatically. You can thank Sneak Attack for that. But good luck finding a low-level party that knows how to keep a mob still, facing it in one direction as the Thief maneuvers behind it, activates Sneak Attack, and scores a critical hit at its rear. When you do get a party that knows how to handle the highly technical job of a Thief, mobs go down quick, especially if the Thief knows how macro together Sneak Attack and a weaponskill. While leveling Thief at low levels you should attack with a sword, but also endeavor to keep your dagger skill capped when you can.
Once you hit level 30 you get the job ability Trick Attack, which when combined with Sneak Attack (a.k.a. SATA) does phenomenal damage. A THF/NIN can Dual Wield low delay daggers and build TP (see: UNDERSTANDING TP) very quickly. At level 33, when a Thief learns the dagger weaponskill "Viper Bite," the damage done by a SATA'ed Viper Bite surpasses almost anything else a melee job is capable of at that point. The Treasure Hunter job trait you get at level 15 increases the loot that drops from mobs, which is always a popular thing and Thieves can also Steal items from their targets, which can be quite lucrative once you start stealing Gold Beastcoins. Until 30, though, a Thief will most benefit from either a Warrior or Monk sub, and since Thieves have good proficiency in hand-to-hand weapons, it pays to keep HTH leveled. Also, while uncommon, a THF/RNG isn't a bad mix for some parties, especially since Thieves have high agility and are the best pullers in the game. Plus, with a Ranger subjob, Thieves can get both Slug Shot and Sidewinder weaponskills - powerful Ranger abilities - at level 55.


*Warrior (WAR): (Key Stat-Strength) The Warrior, for most parties, will be the entry-level tank of choice until people unlock Paladin or Ninja. At higher levels (from 30 to 75) it's preferable to invite those advanced jobs to be your main tank as they are more specialized in taking (or not taking in the case of Ninjas) damage. A Warrior doesn't have the agility or vitality to last long against the game's tougher mobs without overt amounts of healing. The true job of a Warrior, at both low and high levels, is to be a damage dealer. Warriors who eventually equip a Ninja subjob can Dual Wield weapons at level 20, and excel in Axe and Great Axe use. It behooves you to keep your skills maxed in these weapons at all times, while dabbling in others (sword, polearm, hand-to-hand, scythe) in skill-up parties or while soloing. In the 55-plus level range, Warriors become fearsome damage dealers after they acquire the weaponskill "Rampage," keeping pace with Dark Knights in terms of damage output if equipped properly. Warrior is the most fun when the player isn't tasked with being the primary tank, or as a side job, offering relief from busier jobs, like Red Mage, White Mage or Ninja. Warrior is also the most uniformly useful melee subjob, giving an attack boost and other benefits to Monk, Dark Knight, Dragoon, Samurai, Paladin, Thief, and Beastmaster.

*Whit Mage (WHM): (Key Stat-Mind) The primary healing class, White Mages have suffered as recent trends have seen high-level groups rely on Red Mages or Summoners as their principal healer. But in our opinion, there really is no substitute for a good White Mage. Not only do they have the most powerful group-healing spells, but they also have the strongest Protect and Shell spells, and Raise II and III at the latter end of the level spectrum. While it's true that RDMs, SMNs, and even BLMs can have a good portion of the same status-removing spells if they equip WHM as their subjob, they're limited to what a White Mage would have up until level 37. Beyond that, the high-level Curagas and Raises are WHM-only, as is the uber level-50 ability, Divine Veil. White Mage also is the most commonly used mage subjob for RDMs, SMNs and BLMs, and with good reason. A BLM/RDM can't rid himself of status effects, nor can an RDM/BLM, or any combination that doesn't involve a WHM sub. While that might not seem like much of an issue since any of these combinations can still find ways to cure themselves, it's more important when either yourself or a party member needs a Paralyna or Silena in a bad way. The status-effect curing abilities of a WHM are second to none. Just make sure you purchase every spell you can, as every spell (with the exception of maybe Deodorize) is useful on a day-to-day bases.

* Once you've reached level 18, you're eligible to assign and add a subjob, but as you'll soon come to learn, nothing in FFXI Online comes easy. In order to gain the ability, you need to complete one of two quests first. The quest that is closer for Windurst natives (although it is entirely possible for Windurstians to do either quest) is called "The Old Lady" and is activated in the seaside town of Mhaura. If you've made it this far, however, chances are you've taken the ferry to Selbina, which accesses the Valkurm Dunes. If you're leveling in the Dunes, you can activate the "Elder Memories" quest there instead.*

Advanced Jobs

Bard (BRD):
QUEST NAME: THE OLD MONUMENT
Starting NPC: Mertaire (I-8)
Location: Lower Jeuno
Reward: 3000 gil, ability to become a Bard
Key stat: Charisma

The Bard is the ultimate party job class. Unable to solo well on anything above a Decent Challenge, the BRD is best found in parties in which his songs can do the work. Whether through the use of target-specific songs (Etudes) or area-of-effect songs like the Madrigals (melee accuracy), Minuets (attack bonus), Mamboes (evasion bonus), Paeons (HP regen), or Ballads (MP refresh), a party with a Bard in it is a party leveling much faster than others. A Bard keeps damage high and downtime low, is able to boost a Black Mage's intelligence, and increase the ranged accuracy of Rangers. Another Bard specialty is in crowd control, where a BRD can alternate between Foe Lullaby and Horde Lullaby to keep links or aggro'ed mobs at bay until his party is ready to handle them. The best part of this all is that none of a Bard's songs cost any MP. And it's a relatively inexpensive job to level, with the Bard arsenal usually comprised of a sword or dagger (or ideally a Monster Signa, just like a BST would use), and a grip of instruments to insure that he can apply two songs on players (a BRD with no instrument can only have one song active at a time) to fit the need. While high-quality charisma gear (rings, earrings) can be expensive, at least as a Bard you won't be spending money on disposable items all day like Ninja and Rangers. A White Mage sub is the most common sub found on Bards, who usually help out by doing some light backup curing to assist the main healer.

Paladin (PLD):
QUEST NAME: A Squire's Test
Starting NPC: Balasiel (F-7)
Location: South San d'Oria
Reward: Kite Shield, ability to become a Paladin
Key stat: Vitality

Paladins are the tanks built like trucks, designed to take the hits, and possess unparalleled hate-control. If you choose life as a Paladin, understand that you will die, more often than not, if you team up with lousy healers. Get used to the idea. The noble stand tall, and fall hard. A good PLD Provokes as often as possible, and not only when another mage -- healer or nuker -- pulls hate. Every move has a certain level of aggro, and with a WAR sub, a Paladin's Provoke, plus his Cures, and later on his Flashes and Sentinel, there's no reason why a PLD should ever lose hate (unless of course your BLM, RNG or DRK is just out of control). The idea is to "stockpile" as much hate as possible. So if you're tanking scared, a.k.a. only Provoking when "necessary," you've got no business being a Paladin. Your job is to get out there and keep your party alive at all costs. The PLD's 2-hour move, Invincible, is designed to pull hate off of anything (like a WHM who used Benediction), and should be used without hesitation in dire circumstances. The best Paladins are true leaders, and will recognize when an attacker in their party is pulling too much aggro, and will vocalize this to them, hopefully eliminating the need for drastic measures. While Paladins are proficient with Great Swords, a Sword and Shield are his best friends as the PLD job requires defense above all else.

Dark Knight (DRK):
QUEST NAME: BLADE OF DARKNESS Starting NPC: Gumbah (J-7)
Location: Bastok Mines
Reward: Chaosbringer, ability to become a Dark Knight
Key stat: Strength

The Dark Knight is the opposite of the Paladin, having high attack power offset by low defense and vitality. Blessed (in the right hands) with high strength combined with black magic, a DRK can not only damage an enemy physically, through the use of Scythe and Great Sword as his primary weapons (Axes are another option), but can Drain HP and Aspir MP from the mobs, as well as Stun them, keeping parties alive in the face of area-of-effect attacks. Accuracy is a frustrating issue with the slow-swinging two-handed weapons the DRK favors, but becomes less of a problem in the 30s and 40s when accuracy-enhancing gear is acquired. While a Warrior subjob helps the DRK do more damage until level 30 (the WAR job trait, Double Attack, never hurt either), but once past this midrange, players might consider a Thief subjob. The powerful DRK weaponskills are doubled in power when used in conjunction with SATA, putting Dark Knights in the same league as Black Mages and Rangers when it comes to big time damage.

Beastmaster (BST):
QUEST NAME: SAVE MY SON
Starting NPC: Dietmund (G-11)
Location: Lower Jeuno
Reward: Beast Whistle, 2100 gil, ability to become a Beastmaster
Key stat: Charisma

As the primary solo class in FFXI, the Beastmaster job is a difficult path. Leveling alone in dangerous areas, having pets come uncharmed, managing hate control, etc., are only a few of the challenges facing BSTs. It takes a very patient, and very skilled player to rise to the top of the BST ranks. While high-level Thieves, Red Mages, Black Mages, Ninjas and Summoners can all solo quite well, in their own ways, the only job truly designed for this is the Beastmaster. BSTs often team up with another BST and duo once in their 30s, and can dominate many BCNM battles that other parties would fail at. A BST is great to have around in alliance-sized battles or NM fights as well, since they are great at taking care of links or unwanted aggro. Beastmasters are usually found sporting White Mage or Warrior subjobs, but can also be found leveling conventionally in parties using a Ninja sub and Dual Wielding Axes. Charisma is their most important trait as it fuels the Charm spell used to tame pets. Leveling Cooking is another good idea if you plan to level BST, as you can cook up your own summonable jug pets this way. HQ'ed pet jugs conjure more powerful pets and are nice to have in emergency situations. While an Axe is a BSTs favorite weapon, they can use others, like a Scythe. Most BSTs will endeavor to obtain a Monster Signa though, a level 17 staff that adds +8 Charisma.

Ranger (RNG):
QUEST NAME: THE FANGED ONE
Starting NPC: Perih Vashai (K-7)
Location: Windurst Woods
Reward: 320 gil, Ranger's Necklace
Key stat: Agility

Despite the supposed "nerf" to the job class, Rangers are just as powerful as they ever were. The only "downside" is that now a Ranger's proximity to a mob affects the damage dealt, meaning that they can no longer have it both ways and melee as well as fire their bow/crossbow/guns. Imagine that - Rangers attacking from range. Despite the unfortunate illusion cast that Rangers are no longer as potent as they once were, they're still as powerful as ever once they find the "sweet spot" between themselves and their target. While a WAR sub gives Rangers added strength, for more damaging attacks, it's really a wasted effort, as a Thief sub gives added agility (and Flee, which is nice for pulling tough mobs). More importantly, a Ninja sub gives a RNG the Dual Wield ability, which comes in handy when equipping daggers with ranged accuracy bonuses, effectively doubling a Ranger's potential accuracy, and therefore damage. Like Black Mages, though, a Ranger has to know when to hold back. It's too easy to become high on the power a Ranger holds, and fire away at the expense of what's good for the party. Shoot sparingly and you'll not only help your tank keep control of the mob, you'll conserve ammo too. If you want to be a Ranger, plan on farming a lot to pay for the tools of the trade. One way to save yourself some money -- and inventory space -- is to level woodworking and synth your own arrows and bolts.

Samurai (SAM):
QUEST NAME: FORGE YOUR DESTINY
Starting NPC: Jaucribaix (K-8)
Location: Norg
Reward: Mumeito, ability to become a Samurai
Key stat: Dexterity and Strength

The Samurai has some of the coolest armor in the game and is the only job in the game that can -- without the aid of items like Icarus Wings -- create a skillchain by himself. Of course, you have to use your 2-hour move, Meikyo Shisui, to do it, but it's impressive nonetheless. A SAM benefits not only from the expected Warrior or Thief sub (a THF sub is great when you can SATA your weaponskills for double damage), but also make good archers with a Ranger sub since their proficiency with bows is second only to Rangers themselves. It's an odd combination to see in an experience party, but no one ever said you have to play this game any one way. A Samurai's Third Eye move, which anticipates an attack once a minute makes the SAM a worthwhile first Provoke (in parties where a Thief and Ninja SATA set-up is required), or an emergency 'voke in the case of trouble. The Samurai is also the fastest TP-building job around, which means a SAM can literally spam weaponskills. His innate ability to gain huge chunks of TP through sheer willpower alone (Meditate) makes this possible, and some jobs actually sub SAM for the TP bonus. While not commonplace, it has its uses as a subjob in many endgame battles.

Ninja (NIN):
QUEST NAME: AYAME AND KAEDE
Starting NPC: Ensetsu (I-5)
Location: Port Bastok
Reward: Ability to become a Ninja
Key stat: Agility

The Ninja is the most popular tank of choice, thanks to his ability to avoid taking damage altogether by creating shadow images of himself to take the hits. Despite the great expense in keeping one's Ninja supplied with stacks of ninjutsu tools, and equipped in the best evasion gear and agility-enhancing accessories, there's usually no shortage of ninjas to be found. Of course, both the level 12 Utsusemi: Ichi and level 37 Utsusemi: Ni scrolls are incredibly expensive, but at least you can get Ichi through a time-consuming quest for free, and Ni can be gained through various BCNM battles. Being a good ninja is a lot harder than it sounds, though, as cheap ninjas who cast Utsusemi only (and none of the enfeebling or elemental spells) will find it difficult to hold hate, because Provoke only comes around once every 30 seconds. In a party without a Thief, keeping a mob's aggro off your BLMs and WHMs and RNGs is a tough assignment, and even with a Thief, it often takes serious coordination to set up the Sneak Attack/Trick Attack. But if you manage to make it all the way to 37, get Utsusemi: Ni, and want to take it further, you'll find leveling Ninja to be an incredibly satisfying job. A good Ninja is always in demand, and party invites -- much to the chargin of Vana'diel's hard-working Paladins -- are never long in coming. Many endgame battles against Gods with abilities like the Monk's 2-hour, Hundred Fists, must be tanked by Ninjas as Paladins would take too much damage to be worthwhile, draining both the Paladin and healers of their MP. There are exceptions to this rule, of course, but Ninjas are a very popular job class.

Dragoon (DRG):
QUEST NAME: THE HOLY CREST
Starting NPC: Oiheaurese (L-7)
Location: North San d'Oria
Reward: Ability to become a Dragoon
Key stat: Strength and Dexterity

Dragoons are the class, while cool on paper, are the long-standing alumni of the Final Fantasy universe, and possibly the most maligned in FFXI Online. While not a bad class in any category by any means, the Dragoon is the job most often found seeking for long periods of time. This is largely due to the perceived notion that a Dragoon is little more than a Dark Knight or Samurai with a pet, and if that pet were to die the DRG's usefulness is suddenly halved. That's because the wyvern used to be the Dragoon's 2-hour move. Not very useful compared to other more practical 2-hour moves, like WHM Benediction, or PLD Invincible. Now that Square Enix has addressed this somewhat, by making the wyvern a 20-minute summon, and making the Dragoon's new 2-hour move, Spirit Surge, a lot more like a Warrior's Mighty Strikes, the DRG is in theory a more desirable melee job to invite to parties. It's too bad the Dragoon has had to struggle against such unfair perception for so long, as it has always been a great melee class, and gets an accuracy bonus at 30 that other melee jobs that specialize in 2-handed weapons do not (DRK, SAM). Another reason for the Dragoon's suffering is from the bona fide TP nerf that took away the TP recovery gained from the level 55 five-hit polearm move "Penta Thrust." Originally Dragoons could - once they hit 55 - keep pace with Samurai's in TP gain. Even so, with the accuracy bonus, the DRG is still capable of outpacing most jobs in terms of TP gain. A Dragoon is a great hate control partner too, offering a great first Provoke in Ninja-Thief parties, as the DRG can Provoke, then use High Jump or Super Jump to disappear and shed hate after the SATA has been used on the Ninja tank. The short version: The Dragoon is an excellent melee job, and hopefully new players and veterans won't overlook this in favor of the new melee classes.

Summoner (SMN):
QUEST NAME: I CAN HEAR A RAINBOW
Starting NPC: Ajido-Marujido (G-3)
Location: Windurst Walls
Reward: Ability to become a Summoner
Key stat: MP

The Summoner might be the most diverse mage job there is, capable of being a healer, a nuker, or even a party-buff specialist that can give a Bard a run for his money. Of course the first two options depend a lot on what subjob you choose, White Mage or Black Mage, but most Summoners equip a WHM sub for the extra healing, even in the event where they're not invited to be the main healer. After all a SMN/BLM is a mage that can't Sneak or Invisible himself. A Summoner paired with a White Mage in a party is a powerful attacker indeed, being freed up to summon their avatars, like Ifrit, Ramuh, Leviathan, Diabolos, Fenrir, Garuda, Shiva, Titan, and Carbuncle and use their diverse "Blood Pacts." Blood Pacts (or BPs as they are often referred to) are powerful elemental attacks, curative spells, and party buffs (like Fenrir's Evasion and Accuracy boost). At level 25 Summoners get the awesome Auto-Refresh job trait, which gives them 1MP per "tick" back at all times. Since it's always on, many White Mages forego the BLM sub and equip a SMN sub instead. Plus, Summoners get MP boosts like a Monk's HP boost, which basically means they get a crapload of MP. Their high INT and MND ratings also make it a good sub in terms of boosting a BLM or RDMs stats, but you'll find few Black or Red Mages subbing Summoner, as the BLM would be ill equipped to heal himself or anyone else outside of the occasional Healing Ruby, and an RDM would rather nuke or be a pure healer. At endgame levels, a Summoner, or group of Summoners are even more powerful than a Black Mage party in various Gods and wyrms (huge dragons) battles. Astral Flow is the key to this, as a handful of Summoners all unleashing their 2-hour move (up to three times each) is nothing short of devastating.

Blue Mage (BLU): QUEST NAME: AN EMPTY VESSEL Starting NPC: Waoud (J-10)
Location: Aht Urhgan Whitegate
Key stat: Unknown

The Blue Mage is unique because the majority of his spells are learned from the enemies he fights, and not from store-bought spells. A Goblin's Bomb Toss, a Mandragora's Wild Oats, a Dhamel's Healing Breeze, a Moblin's Fry Pan all become part of a Blue Mage's arsenal, much to the dismay of the monsters he fights. Skilled in sword use as well as offensive, enfeebling and healing magics, the Blue Mage is a multi-purpose adventurer who can fit nearly any support spot in a party, and with BLU's able to mix and match their spell sets, their adaptability is second to none. This was in fact the most fan-requested job over the past few years, and finally it has become reality. The diversity of a Blue Mage's job abilities demands skilled play, so if you're adept at handling a multitasking job like Red Mage or Ninja or Summoner, this may be a great fit for you. Since a BLU has a specific number of slots in which he can assign a certain number of spells, the customizability of a Blue Mage is unparalleled. As the BLU grows in level, so too does the potency of his spells, according to the level of his Blue Magic rating. The bottom line: Cast your magic if you want to make the most of this job.

Corsair (COR):
QUEST NAME: LUCK OF THE DRAW
Starting NPC: Ratihb (J-12)
Location: Aht Urhgan Whitegate
Key stat: Unknown

A Ranger with a gambling habit, a Corsair's abilities can have significant impact on a party's fortunes. Like a Bard or Summoner with less predictable results, a COR's Black Jack-style gambling moves can improve job-specific abilities, like enhancing a Warrior's Double Attack, or even restoring an entire party's 2-hour moves. A Corsair "rolls" to determine the effectiveness of each spell he casts, although these "spells" don't actually use MP. Want to make a Samurai's Meditate ability stronger? A COR will try to roll an 11 on a "Samurai Roll" without going over, with 11 the strongest result and 1 having the least powerful effect. It remains to be seen just how complex and busy this job becomes at higher levels, and just how effective it is at lower levels (various job roll dice are acquired as the Corsair grows in level), but even Square admits this is the most technical of the three new ToAU jobs. Extended playtime with the Corsair indicates a lower than average accuracy level, making the COR more useful as a Bard-type party buffer than as an actual damage dealer, so players thinking of joining parties as a damage dealer plus bonuses should think twice.

Puppetmaster (PUP):
QUEST NAME: NO STRINGS ATTACHED
Starting NPC: Shamarhaan (F-9)
Location: Bastok Markets
Key stat: Unknown

It's hard to determine just what a Puppetmaster is at the moment, since the Automaton (the PUP's puppet) has 12 customizable slots in addition to its head and frame (body) pieces. The type of head and frame you equip determines whether your Automaton is a melee, ranged attacker, or caster type. Knowing that will dictate what you equip in the other 12 slots, but the Puppetmaster himself is another hand-to-hand specialist in the vein of the Monk. The PUP is perhaps more easily described as a Monk with a Wyvern-type pet, but unlike Dragoons and their pets, PUPs can actually dictate his automatons every move. The automaton actually gains its own melee and casting and ranged skillups, just like any player would, and Alchemists and Goldsmiths can synthesize ability-enhancing and automaton-regenerating items too. Extended play time with the Puppetmaster reveals that it's also an excellent solo class, as the automaton can be configured to actually tank, by adding Provoke, Stoneskin, Accuracy Enhancements, Regen, Refresh and a myriad of other accessories. "Soloing" Even Matches is no problem with a PUP and a melee-centric automaton with the puppet usually having more HP and defense than the Puppetmaster himself. Of course, configuring a mage or ranged attack automaton changes the dynamic of how a Puppetmaster solos, or contributes to a party.

Races

HUME: There's not much to be said about the best all-around choice for any job type. Humes aren't exceptional in any given stat category, but suffer from no glaring weaknesses either. This is a good choice for players with short attention spans and don't know what advanced job they really want to play in the future, or plan to have multiple high-level jobs that cover both melee and mage classes. Since the Humes are pretty good at everything, it's the safest choice for any job. Plus, at the highest levels, the lack of any truly exceptional stats can be addressed through the Merit Point system activated at level 75. Whether you're looking at a mage or melee class, a Hume character will succeed in any of the existing job choices and most assuredly any of the upcoming Blue Mage, Corsair or Puppetmaster jobs as well.
Statistical breakdown: Even spread of stat values, with the exception high CHR (good for Bards). No real weakness, but no category-leading stats either.

ELVAAN: While the Elvaans tower over nearly everyone save for Galkas, those of the mind to whip up a virtual Legolas should pause to consider that in FFXI the "elf" is the antithesis of nearly every mythical stereotype ever established by the good J.R.R. Tolkein. The short version: Elvaans are probably the coolest-looking yet most handicapped race in the game in both the melee and mage classes. While the hundreds of thousands of Elvaans on every server probably bristle at the notion, it's true. Blame Square Enix, not us. With the lowest INT and second-lowest MP stats in the game, it's difficult to be an effective Black Mage, since these are the BLM job's key attributes.
And with the lowest AGI and DEX, the Elvaan has the worst accuracy, ranged accuracy, parrying and evasion stats in the game as well, making this a tough choice for Thieves, Rangers, and nearly any job class where accuracy is key (especially with slow-swinging two-handed weapons), or where evasion is integral to survival. So what is an Elvaan good at, you ask? With the highest MND ranking in the game, Elvaans make good White Mages, which is ironic since they have so little MP to work with. Their high CHR also means that Elvaans make great Bards and Beastmasters, especially since these jobs generally don't rely too heavily on MP. The high Elvaan vitality also means that they're equipped to take the hits, and therefore make great Paladins. High STR also means that Elvaans do the most damage when they hit, making an Elvaan Dark Knight a truly ferocious prospect. While choosing an Elvaan seems like a grim proposition thanks to the bewildering statistical handicap, bear in mind that many of these "problems" can be overcome through the use of the proper foods and equipment, along with skillful play.
Statistical breakdown: High MND, CHR, STR and VIT. Low INT, AGI, DEX, MP.

TARUTARU: While the Tarutaru's high MP (usually double that of Elvaans and Galka) and statistically dominant INT means that this tiny race is built for Black Maging, savvy players will realize that these Windurstian natives also excel in other job categories due to their high CHR and AGI. With a good charisma rating, Tarutaru make great Bards and Beastmasters while their considerable agility makes them efficient Thieves, Rangers and Ninjas. Players who've fallen head over heels for the vertically-challenged 'tarus should bear in mind that their low vitality and -- more importantly - low Hit Points means they take a lot more damage than other races, making it especially challenging for 'tarus to tank. Whether you choose a Ninja or Paladin job class, most of the mobs that experience point parties typically level off of usually possess a hard-hitting weapon skill (Spiders use Sickle Slash, Goblins use Goblin Rush, etc.) that can one-shot a 'taru tank, while a Hume, Elvaan or Galka would than likely survive. That's not to say that 'tarus can't make great tanks, but you should be aware of the challenges if you choose to play as one. Naturally their high MP pool means that you'll find many 'tarus leveling as White Mages, Summoners and Red Mages. And when not tasked with the responsibility of tanking, the high 'taru intelligence and respectable dexterity make them good Dark Knights, although their low strength is something to consider. Overall, Tarutaru fit well in almost every job class, and nearly every set of Artifact gear looks cooler on a 'taru than any other race.
Statistical breakdown: High INT, CHR, AGI and MP. Low STR, VIT, HP.

MITHRA: The all-female Mithra race, despite a few handicaps in some areas, is possibly the best all-around character class choice besides the Humes. While the high Mithran dexterity and agility make them natural Thieves, they also make excellent Rangers, Ninjas, Samurais, Dragoons, Monks, and Dark Knights, since they hit more often than every other race. The counterbalance is that Mithras lack strength, which limits their raw damage potential. Naturally, equipment can be bought to compensate, but at higher levels, a Thief subjob can double the damage of nearly any weaponskill, and a Ninja subjob can be used to Dual-Wield weapons. The low Mithran vitality puts them in the same boat as tarutaru tanks, but their higher HP compensates, as does their incredible agility, which assists greatly in both evasion and parrying skill. Low charisma, though, makes succeeding as Bards and Beastmasters more challenging than the other races (reducing success when using Lullaby and Charm, respectively), but with a good intelligence rating and average MP pool, Mithras make effective mages as well. You'll see a lot of high level Mithran Summoners, Black Mages, White Mages and Red Mages in Vana'diel and with good reason.
Statistical breakdown: High DEX, AGI, INT. Low STR, VIT, CHR, MND

GALKA: Ironically the least-selected race in FFXI, the sturdy Galka are the uncontested kings of taking a beating. With the highest vitality and the most Hit Points in the game, no one is better suited to take a hit as a Paladin than the stout Galka. The catch is that Galkas have the least MP of anyone in the game, meaning that they don't have as much freedom to cast Cures and Flash (the most important Paladin spells). Besides tanking, Galkas fare very well in most melee jobs as well (WAR, DRG, DRK, SAM, MNK), as they possess decent dexterity. They're virtually in the same situation as Elvaans in terms of intelligence though, which combined with their low MP makes BLM a tough choice for a Galka. Galkan agility isn't too hot either, so if you're planning a career as a Galkan Ninja or Ranger, consider the eventual purchase of AGI-boosting gear before you do.
Statistical breakdown: High VIT, HP, STR. Low MP, AGI, INT.

Guilds


CRAFTING GUILDS: One of the most consistent ways to make money in the game is to sign up with a crafting guild, taking it to the maximum level and selling the high-priced items only masters can make. The catch is that it takes a lot of time, money and patience in order to take a craft all the way to 100. To put things in perspective, it's actually easier to take a job to 75 than it is to level a craft to the maximum level. But it's more than just taking one skill to 100. The best craftsmen also have maxed crafting subs in all of the other guilds capped at level 60. Since many high-end items require capped subs for success (a lack of leveled subs can lead to broken materials, which often cost millions of gil) becoming a true crafting master is in an intimidating process. In fact, it's often better to decide on what craft you'd like to take to the top and level the subs first. This way you'll be able to synth many items that are more practical to skill-up on your main when the time comes, often saving you money in the long run. In order to give you an idea of what each job is useful for we've put together a handy list of each guild's low-level and high-level items.
Ideally when skilling a craft up, you'd want to keep the item you're trying to synth within two levels above your current skill level. For example, if your Alchemy skill is 5 and Beeswax is a level 7 item, you'll get the most consistent skill-ups until you hit level 7, at which point you'd want to make a level 9 item. Of course you can get skills from an item up to 10 levels above your skill, but 1) you'd want to get synth support (regular or advanced) from your guild, and 2) you'd better be prepared to see the majority of your materials break, which can be quite expensive. The skill-ups will also come a lot less frequently than if you were synthing items closer to your level. Sometimes it can't be helped though, as many items between you and your desired level are often difficult to make due to a scarcity of materials. In these situations you do the best you can, and this is where you need to do every last thing you can to give yourself an edge.

Another factor to consider while crafting is the direction you're facing while synthing an item. Everything in the game has an elemental affinity whether you're aware of it or not, and if you're using an earth crystal to synth a piece of silk cloth for example, the skill-up direction would be southeast. If you're trying for an HQ using an earth crystal (which wouldn't work on silk cloth as the maximum you can synth is still one piece, but would work on, say, a stack of acid bolts) you'd want to face south. It's a lot to keep track of, but if you're trying to get maximum result for your efforts, it's better to appreciate and understand the depth of Final Fantasy XI's crafting system earlier than later. When a high-level Woodcrafter can synth 99 pieces of shihei (the most essential ninja tool) in one synth attempt, using the same amount of materials as a low-level Woodcrafter (who would get 33 pieces from the same attempt), it's easy to see where the profit lies. By taking all things into consideration before you synth, your potential for financial gain increases exponentially.

THE GUILDS

WOODWORKING:
Low level uses: Arrows, Shihei, Bolts
High-end items: Furnishings, Bows

SMITHING:
Low level uses: Various Ingots and Sheets, Makibishi, Scale armor, Chain armor
High-end items: Haubergeons, Thick gear, Hauberk, Black gear, Cursed armor, Barone gear, Adaman armor

GOLDSMITHING:
Low level uses: Various Ingots and Chains
High-end items: High-level Rings and Accessories, Barone gear, Sha'ir Manteel

CLOTHCRAFT:
Low level uses: Various Threads and Cloths, Kaginawa, Shinobi-Tabi,
High-end items: Vermillion cloaks, Sha'ir gear, Noble's Tunic, Errant gear, Opaline gear

LEATHERWORKING:
Low level uses: Leather armor, Lizard armor, Parchment
High-end items: Black Cotehardie, Amemet Mantle, Byrnie, Sniper's Ring, Austere gear

BONECRAFT:
Low level uses: Arrowheads, Beetle Armor
High-end items: Scorpion Harness, Igqira gear, Dragon gear, Unicorn gear, Cursed armor

ALCHEMY:
Low level uses: Antidotes, Echo Drops, Prism Powder, Silent Oil
High-end items: Cursed armor, Hakutaku Eye Cluster (trigger item for Optical Hat fight)

COOKING:
One of the most surefire ways to make money is to take Cooking to high levels. Since every job benefits from using food, as long as you're making the items people need, your income will be steady. Another
Low level uses: Juices (good for Refreshing mage jobs)
High-end items: Sushi (great for accuracy, evasion, attack at higher levels)

FISHING:
Fishing is the one guild that every player, regardless of other guild affinity, is able to take to 100 without having to sacrifice mastery in another skill. This means that if you're level 100 in Clothcraft, and have all subs at 60, you can still take Fishing to 100. Leveling fishing to the maximum value has two immediate advantages.
One: There are other benefits to high level fishing skills, such as making certain job quests easier (Paladin AF, for example) which require the player to fish up a specific monster. Some quests found in various towns like Selbina and Mhaura use items that can only be fished up, resulting in various useful rewards, like maps and other items. Players with level 4 (Novice) fishing or above can participate in various repeatable quests with potentially lucrative rewards (the rare and expensive Mercurial Kris is obtained through a fishing quest). Two: Fishing is also an incredibly useful skill for Cooking guild crafters to have. Cooks with the high-level fish-handling skill can turn various fish into the highly desired and effective sushi, which are always in high demand by nearly every melee class. Fishing is not only good for high-level Cooks, but also good for raising low-level Cooking skill. Many types of bait (sliced sardines and insect paste at low levels) used in the early skill levels will raise your Cooking steadily.

And beyond selling fish on Auction House as a way to boost your income, another steady, sure-fire way to rake in the gil is to fish up moat carp, and sell them by the stack on auction. A dozen moat carps don't stay on auction long, especially in the Kingdom of San d'Oria, where the legendary Lu Shang Fishing Rod quest (obtained through The Rivalry/The Competition quest) takes place. In Port San d'Oria the quest pits one brother against another in a sibling fishing contest, and requires the player to hand in a staggering 10,000 moat carp in order to reap the reward, The Lu Shang Fishing Rod, which is the best rod in the game for catching small fish (of which the valued Moat Carp is one) with impressive regularity. It also lowers the fish's stamina the fastest, while giving the player the longest opportunity to wear the fish down. It's also the most durable when catching the large and legendary-level fish, although you'll need to find a high-level woodworker to fix it if it breaks. And if you don't actually care to use the rod for fishing yourself, you can always sell it for millions of gil. While fishing up 10,000 moat carp will take no less than months and months of fishing, it's something you can do in your spare time and -- more importantly -- at low levels. A level 1 or 2 fisherman can begin to fish up moat carps with little more than a Hume Rod and some Tiny Worms in places like Windurst Woods, and once you switch to Insect Paste (which is the moat carp's favorite bait) at around level 7 to 10 the carps will come consistently. Fish of considerable value can be fishing up at all level ranges. Getting the fish used to make certain sushis might be fished up on the Selbina-Mhaura ferry, however, which suggests the player should be high-level in the event of a Sea Horror sighting (or even worse, Pirates). Other unique fishing areas, like the basement of Kuftal Tunnel also require the player to be high level, to avoid aggro, and to survive having fished up a monster, which happens every so often to keep players from using fishing bots.

MATERIAL SUPPORT:
One of the hardest parts about leveling a craft is obtaining all of the necessary materials to make the items you can skill off of. While it might take a lot more of your time, if you're looking for maximum profit versus expenditure, you can always farm/harvest your own materials. Knowing what you need and where to find it will take some research, and you'll probably want to buy the corresponding gear that improves the results in each of the following areas:

• MINING: Use Pickaxes at Mining points

• EXCAVATING: Use Pickaxes at Excavation points

• LOGGING: Use Hatchets at Logging points

• HARVESTING: Use Sickles at Harvesting points

• DIGGING: Use Gysahl Greens while riding a Chocobo and Digging (This method of farming actually skills-up a hidden digging trait, meaning the more you do it the better you'll get at it)

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JustMarioBros

Ok.... discuss.

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WAN73D

Wow. That's a great tut for people who really have no clue about FFXI. Good idea Mario.

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"This city deserves a better class of criminal."
Waiting for APB

JustMarioBros

Yea but i got a feeling that not many ppl will get to see this because its not on the main page. PDZ and BF2 are, and thats why they are popular there. IDK, wateva. I just hope this gets a few ppl interested in the game.

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WAN73D

Yeah, I really wish FFXI had it's own board. I think we could build a pretty strong T3F-based community on FFXI if we did. O by the way, I have another kid who wants to join the server but he needs a worldpass. He said he was gonna start postin here eventually. The Oblivion guys will love him cause he's like a friggin prodigy at that game.

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"This city deserves a better class of criminal."
Waiting for APB

JustMarioBros

Nice, tell him we need ppl.

So whats your favorite Job? Im still too low of a lvl since i just started on the new server, but the jobs im looking forward to is the Dark Warrior and Ninja, and maybe Dragoon.

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WAN73D

Well, I hope to end up as a Dragoon/Samurai (I know....it'll take forever). But I'm kinda interested in the puppetmaster. I also wanna see a summoner in action. Honestly, my favorite thing about MMOs is party dynamics. Strategies and whatnot. So I like a diverse amount of jobs. Hopefully as we gain more people we also gain the necessary components of a party.

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"This city deserves a better class of criminal."
Waiting for APB

Dr. L1nK

thanks mario, im gonna need a bit of help trying to get my character to what it should be. PM me on aim or i'll hit u up. SInEsTErMASTER

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JustMarioBros