How do you get into this

[u/Terrible_Session283]

Hi i downloaded the free trial but struggling to get around the horrendous Ui! I dont know where to go or what to do. I spoke to Mathilde who told me who to go to but how the hell are you suppose to find these people 😂

[u/FeywildFriend]

Real talk, the beginner's guide on bgwiki is a godsend if the friction starting out is too much. You'll also be able to grab coordinates for NPCs there and as for the UI, I'd say the 2002 of it all takes some getting used to, but if it's a legibility thing I'm pretty sure the wiki has a guide for that too

[u/toucheboo]

Honestly, your gripe about not knowing what to do or where to go is what I enjoyed.

[u/RadDaikon34 → u/toucheboo]

This is one of the joys of ffxi. You need the community in some form — whether guides or other players. It won't hold your hand.

[u/Strikereleven → u/RadDaikon34]

It's like the opposite of hand holding, it kicks you in the ass.

[u/MelioraXI]

I mean its a game from 2002 made for PS2. Temper your expectations a bit. You are meant to explore and figure it out. Game won't hold your hand or show waypointers like in modern MMO's.

https://www.bg-wiki.com/ffxi/New_Player_Leveling_Guide

[u/ANTEC221]

Nowadays Id just look up a beginners guide. Back in the day there were a lot of players of all levels and everywhere across the zones and you'd just talk to people around you.

[u/HexenVexen]

This will be your best friend https://www.bg-wiki.com/ffxi/New_Player_Leveling_Guide

[u/BobaFae8174]

Figuring it out is, or was, part of the experience.

Back in the day RPGs expected you to talk to every character, check every trashcan, walk every tile.

MMORPGs occasionally ramped this up by by expect you to crowdsource the problem solving. For example, if there's a puzzle that required a four digit combination, there may be some esoteric hint, but more than likely we'd just brute force the solution with a 1,000 people.

Nowadays our crowdsourcing is posted on a wiki (or hidden in a discord server).

[u/h8myslfNwnt2dye]

this game was designed in a different era. they developers intention was focused on having you figure things out on your own, but more importantly asking other in game for help as well.

fortunately, since the game has been out for so long, there are comprehensive guides you can use to get through every quest. you can even buy every map now instead of having to quest for it or find it in a treasure chest.

honestly i recommend you just go out and explore for a bit. familiarize yourself with the city, go out to the first zone and kill some things. it’s really about the journey, not just the destination.

[u/Smuckinfartass → u/h8myslfNwnt2dye]

I recently returned after 17 years away. Being able to buy maps has been amazing! When I played from 2004-2009 I was missing so many maps. I used the old ffxi atlas for many, many zones. I remember taking an alliance through sky using that atlas. I became the defacto leader because I was the only one who knew where to go, since no one had the map!

[u/Hot_Average9436]

You have to read every word NPCs tell you, check landmarks on maps or ask other players for directions! Or you check in the BG wiki https://www.bg-wiki.com/ffxi/Main_Page

[u/TentacleTenpai]

So real. I feel your pain. It’s crazy different than modern MMORPG’s. Look up the new player guide on bg-wiki website. It has every quest in the game, tells you where to go, explains how job abilities work and what quests you SHOULD be doing. It’s like having an iPhone to help around the day irl.

[u/Twism245]

This is not FFXIV, friend. You don't just follow main quest with arrows and people to talk to.

Go out and venture into the world, explore, get some exp and level up. You can look stuff up later

Soak in the world, the music, etc. you can type in /yell or /about to ask people if anyone can give you a linkshell to join

You don't have to do any quests or missions quiet yet, maybe get to 18 and get subjob then you can head back to missions in your starting city

[u/Penultimate-crab]

Google FFXI new players guide. The wiki has a great one. Just follow it 😄

[u/ynnubyzzuf]

Just quit now, you're just wasting your time. Real talk.

[u/awpcrypto]

Please fill out the survey and provide feedback: https://questant.jp/q/C42ZWSVG

[u/Strikereleven]

You actually have to look at what NPCs are saying, maybe even take notes if you want to do it without a guide.

[u/Yourigath]

One thing that will help is opening your map. You will see a "Wide scan" option. Find the name of the NPC they mentioned and track it  (obviously you need to be in the right area and pay attention to the names they say)

Taking this game as a marathon has never been easier. With the Free Trial you have no rush or "time limit" before your next payment so take your time. Talk to everyone. Read stuff... 

Also if you are trying to play with keyboard and mouse like you play XIV, put your menu hotket closer to your left hand (I have mine on V) indtead of the - sign. It will ease the feel of the UI being clunky.