Welcome to Final
Fantasy XIV, and the wondrous land of Eorzea!



alt="cactuar" src="http://www.tentonhammer.com/image/view/90119"
hspace="3" vspace="3">Before
you set out to adventure, it’s a good idea to take a few tips from an
adventurer who has set out ahead of you and lived to tell the tale.
Learn from my follies and heed my advice, brave soul!  Beyond
the
safety of this city lies great danger, but also great opportunity. To
overcome one, and enjoy the other, you will have to keep your wits
about you.



I’m here to offer you a few life lessons and general
tips. Hopefully these pearls of wisdom will bring you success as you
carve out a name for yourself in these difficult times.





Starting Cities



One of the first choices you will be given, is your starting city.



Limsa Lominsa -
This cliffside city is breathtaking but can be difficult to navigate,
given that it is comprised of several layers (and your map will only
display the layer you currently occupy). However, the nearby
adventuring area is very easy to navigate, has few aggressive spawns,
and no poisonous baddies. Because of these features, it is widely
considered to be the most friendly to new players.

style="width: 640px; height: 234px;" alt="Limsa Lominsa"
src="http://www.tentonhammer.com/image/view/90122">

Limsa Lominsa

Ul’dah -
A bustling metropolis in the heart of a desert. I found it easier to
navigate than Limsa Lominsa, but it was more sprawling and less
enjoyable to the eye. The road to the nearest adventuring camp is
relatively safe, but beware of the few high level aggressive beasts
that roam the region. They are easy to avoid in the wide-open areas
around the city, but must be taken into consideration nonetheless.

style="width: 640px; height: 238px;" alt="Ul'dah"
src="http://www.tentonhammer.com/image/view/90129">

Ul'dah

Gridania -
Set in a lush and densely populated forest region, navigating this city
means working your way through a maze of hills, cliffs and underbrush.
The area surrounding the city is no different, being comprised of a
veritable maze of narrow areas connected to one another. Between the
difficult zone navigation and dangerous occupants, this area should be
recommended only for players who have become comfortable with the
game’s mechanics as a whole.

style="font-style: italic; width: 640px; height: 199px;"
alt="Gridania"
src="http://www.tentonhammer.com/image/view/90121">
style="font-style: italic;">
Gridania

Maps and
Traveling



Regardless
of your choice of starting area, it is likely you will at some point
find it necessary to visit one of the other two main population centers
of Eorzea. Maybe you’ve run out of leves to complete in your home city,
require the assistance of a Guild that does not have a presence there,
or you’re simply seeking a change of scenery.



Before traveling
anywhere, it is important to familiarize yourself with your map
interface, and realize a few of its quirks and limitations. First of
all, whenever there are multiple layers available the map displays only
the level you are currently on,. So if you are given directions to a
location that is supposed to be nearby, and do not see it on your map,
look for a stairs indicator and travel toward that point.



The
map interface does not allow you to zoom in or out from your location,
but you can scroll the display by using the right thumb-stick on your
controller, or the I, J,
K and L keys.



Now
that you have an idea of how to check your surroundings, let’s get you
on the road to the other major cities. For the purposes of this guide,
we will assume that you are starting in the city of Limsa Lominsa,
which cannot be accessed via land travel. In order to get to the
mainland, where the other two cities lie, you will need to make your
way to the western-most point of the city and board a Ferry. It is free
of charge, but what you don’t pay in gil you’ll pay instead with your
time because the ferry trip is lengthy. It is recommended that you
bring crafting supplies or a fishing pole with you to pass the time.



alt="Aetheryte"
src="http://www.tentonhammer.com/image/view/90123" hspace="3"
vspace="3">Upon
arriving at the mainland, you will still have a long distance to
journey to reach the nearest city, Ul'dah. Fortunately, the way is
easy to follow; clearly marked paths on your map will lead you directly
to
the next major destination. Along the way, should you spot any
adventuring camps with Aetheryte Nodes, I recommend you stop and attune
yourself. Later you can spend anima to teleport to these locations and
avoid long travel times. However, each teleport costs 6 anima
which
returns to you at a rate of only 1 per 6 hours of online play time (it
does not regenerate while you are offline), so use them wisely.



alt="Bentbranch to Gridania"
src="http://www.tentonhammer.com/image/view/90126" hspace="3"
vspace="3">Eventually,
after passing through a narrow canyon, you will come to a fork in the
road that turns off to the south. Following this path will lead you to
the desert city of Ul’dah after a short walk. If you did not take the
fork in the road, continuing along the original path will lead you
eventually to the city of Gridania, but the road ahead is still a long
one. You will first have to pass through the twisted undergrowth that
surrounds the hidden city of Gridania. Following the path is still a
straight-forward route to the city, until you reach Camp Bentbranch.
After this point, ignore the path and continue North at every possible
opportunity. (see map
example on the left.)



Along your way to either of these destinations, it
is important to watch out for aggressive enemies. The most noted
enemies are the Cactuars, who are not always easy to spot and capable
of destroying most young adventurers in a single shot. Other dangers
abound however, so keep your eyes open!



Be sure to find the
Aetheryte Node in each of the capital cities should you choose to make
this journey. Teleportation is much easier and less dangerous than
running the entire distance each time.





Profession
Changing Items



FFXIV
possesses a unique system that doesn’t lock your character down to a
specific class at the time of creation. Instead, your profession is
dictated by the item you currently have equipped in your main hand.
When you choose your starting profession, you’re given a free set of
equipment for that class (including a main hand profession item) but
you are free at any time to purchase an item for another profession and
change what you are doing in the game.



These items can be
difficult to locate. They are found in the same city where the guild
for that profession can be found, but not always for sale at the guild
itself. This is one of the primary reasons for traveling to other
cities - to seek out a new profession item.



Here’s a quick list of which guilds occupy which of the three starting
cities:

Linkshells



alt="linkshell display"
src="http://www.tentonhammer.com/image/view/90125" hspace="3"
vspace="3">In
the world of Eorzea, Linkshells are the names given to a guild-like
social structure of like-minded individuals. In the simplest of terms,
it’s possible to think of your Linkshell as a permanent group. Any
character can belong to up to 8 Linkshells, and any Linkshell can
contain up to 128 members. All you need to do is track down the correct
NPC and s/he will walk you through the few steps you need to perform to
create your very own Linkshell. This NPC is usually hanging around the
tavern where starting players receive their first Leves. Once you’ve
created your own Linkshell, you can invite anyone that you like as long
as you can physically target them. To speak in your
newly-formed
Linkshell, simply use the command “/L” or you can set your default
channel to Linkshell by typing “/chatmode L.”



alt="linkshell display"
src="http://www.tentonhammer.com/image/view/90124" hspace="3"
vspace="3">Once you’re a
member of multiple Linkshells, you’ll be able to read whatever chatter
is going on among each separate group at any time, but you can only
choose one at a time to reply to. To switch between them,
simply
click on your Linkshell submenu, select the other Linkshell and make it
active.



The Linkshell system was also present in style="font-style: italic;">Final Fantasy XI,
but the new system is extremely streamlined by comparison, allowing a
much simpler means of socializing with your fellow adventurers.





Repairing Your
Gear



As
you adventure, your equipment will slowly wear down. This won’t impact
you as much at low levels because you’re likely to replace your
equipment before it wears out. However, the time will come when you
will need to seek out repairs in order to continue your adventures.



The
simplest way to get your equipment repaired, is to visit an NPC who
specializes in these activities. There is one to be found in each of
the major cities:



Limsa Lominsa:   style="font-weight: bold;">Braetonieu can be
found on the lower levels of the city, between East and West Hawker’s
Alley.

Ul’dah:   style="font-weight: bold;">Gogorano is a
lalafell standing just inside the northern gate (Gate of Nald). He’s
small, so easy to miss.

Gridania:
 Meara
is off to one side of the Ebony Stalls area.



alt="Item displaying "Repair" button"
src="http://www.tentonhammer.com/image/view/90128" hspace="3"
vspace="3">When
interacting with these repair NPCs do not choose the option to “do your
own repairs.” This does not actually repair your items, but merely
gives you access to the repair NPCs’ tools, which are supposed to have
a lower chance of failure than normal tools. The base rate of failure
is extremely low however, so only use this option if you’re paranoid
about failure.



The repair NPCs listed above can only fix your
equipment up to a durability of 75%. This means that relying upon them
will result in repeated trips. Instead, there is a way to repair your
items to nearer their maximum durability.



alt="Repairing an item"
src="http://www.tentonhammer.com/image/view/90127" hspace="3"
vspace="3">First, unequip the
item you wish to repair. Then highlight the item in your Inventory
screen. Near the bottom of the pane, it will tell you what items will
be required to mend this item. Next you’ll need to equip the proper
profession tools, based on the item you wish to repair (e.g. Weaver to
repair cloth items, Blacksmith for most weapons, etc.). Click on the
Repair button then to bring up the Synthesis menu (usually used for
crafting) and put the proper repair items into the materials window.
Voila! If you have sufficient skill, you will be rewarded with a mended
item.



You may also rely upon others to mend your items, or even
go into business yourself as a skilled repairer. The options are yours
to explore.





Retainers



The
world of Eorzea has no unified auction house at this time, for the
buying and selling of wares. Instead, each prospective merchant must
set up a Retainer that acts as a shop employee, allowing potential
buyers to peruse the player’s inventory even when they are not around.



To
set up your very own retainer, you’ll need to purchase their services
from an NPC found in the nearest tavern. Customize them to your heart’s
desire, then head to the nearest Market Ward, since this is the only
place you may make use of your new employee. The interface to set them
up is fairly self-explanatory, so I won’t go into detail. I
will
recommend however, that you not drop your retainer right near the
entrance to the Market Wards. Instead, find a nice empty spot on the
floor to squat or - even better - splurge on a nice shiny merchant
stand!





Helpful Guides
and External Links



FFXIV
is a complicated world full of many intertwined systems, each as
feature-rich as the last. As such, it is possible that actions
you
would find easy to accomplish in another MMOG are beyond your
comprehension in this land. Should you find yourself in this
predicament, here are a list of additional websites dedicated to
assisting you as you explore Eorzea. Each contains various guides, tips
and tricks, as well as communities focused on rendering assistance and
building bonds with fellow adventurers.



www.tentonhammer.com/ffxiv
-- our local FFXIV community portal

www.ffxivcore.com

www.ffxivorigin.com

www.eorzeapedia.com

ffxiv.zam.com

style="font-weight: bold;">Good luck out there!



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vspace="3">

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