Tips and Tricks for New Players in FFXIV

Welcome new Warriors of Light! We've compiled a list of tips and tricks to help you on your adventure through Eorzea. While there's certainly a lot to learn, we're hoping this guide (and others on the site) help make your journey as fun as possible!

Eorzea is huge, and at first it may be overwhelming just how much there is to do. Here's a few tips for getting around the map!

Aetherytes are used for teleportation around Eorzea. You'll know you've found one when you see it, these structures are giant blue crystals that slowly spin around. To access the ability to use them, you must interact with it a single time. While all areas will have large ones located in a few places around the map, City-States (Places like Limsa Lominsa, Ul-duh, and Gridania) have smaller Aetherytes located around the map for ease of access. While Aetherytes cost a small amount of Gil, they are by far the most efficient way of getting around, especially before you unlock flight in Heavensward.

As was just mentioned, the ability to fly while mounted is unlocked in Heavensward. To do this, the player must attune to Aethercurrents in each map, as well as complete specific side quests, before being able to fly. A full list of locations for each Aethercurrent, separated by expansion, can be found through the link below.

With 19 (and counting) Jobs included with FFXIV, it may be extremely overwhelming trying to pick, and at the same time excel at, your chosen class. Luckily, we've compiled an abundant amount of information here on Icy Veins to help you make your decision going forward, while also learning how to play your selected Job.

As a new Warrior of Light, you'll have access to certain Classes from the start, but their names may confuse you since it's not the normal names you see in the game, or really talked about on the site. Those Classes are as follow, and also determine which City-State you'll start in, although it doesn't make much difference in the large scope of things:

• Gladiator → Paladin / Tank
• Maruader → Warrior / Tank
• Pugilist → Monk / Melee DPS
• Lancer → Dragoon / Melee DPS
• Rogue → Ninja / Melee DPS
• Archer → Bard / Ranged
• Thaumaturge → Black Mage / Caster
• Arcanist → Summoner and Scholar / DPS and Healer
• Conjurer → White Mage / Healer

All of these base Classes will eventually turn into an Advanced Job at level 30, so long as the player has completed all associated Class Quests up to that point.

Every 5 levels the NPC in your Class/Job hall will have a new quest for you. The rewards for these quests range from stuff as small as gear upgrades, to major kit enhancements in the form of new skills. As a fresh Warrior of Light, it's mandatory you complete all of these as soon as possible up to level 30, as that is when you will unlock your Job Specialization.

When a Class changes to a Job in Final Fantasy 14, it gains skills, actions, and traits it would otherwise not have access to. These additions boost your damage much higher, and generally will allow you to support your party members even further. We can't stress this enough, it's extremely important that you keep up with these quests.

For players brand new to the MMO genre, it may be worth your time to complete the Hall of the Novice. These tutorials can be started by interacting with NPCs with a sprout icon over their head in City-States. While Hall of the Novice won't teach you how to be the best player possible, it will teach you the fundamentals of content, and some role specific responsibility.

With every expansion has come new jobs. While Heavensward is the outlier, giving us three new jobs, every expansion since then had given us two new jobs. To gain access to these Jobs, you'll need to own the corresponding expansion, as well as have one other Job leveled to the starting level of the new Job. Here's the list of Expansion Jobs:

• Dark Knight: A Tank Job that can be unlocked by owning Heavensward and reaching Ishgard. This Job starts at level 30.
• Machinist: A Ranged DPS Job that can be unlocked by owning Heavensward and reaching Ishgard. This Job starts at level 30.
• Astrologian: A Healer Job that can be unlocked by owning Heavensward and reaching Ishgard. This Job starts at level 30.
• Samurai: A Melee DPS Job that can be unlocked by owning Stormblood. This Job starts at level 50.
• Red Mage: A Caster DPS Job that can be unlocked by owning Stormblood. This Job starts at level 50.
• Gunbreaker: A Tank Job that can be unlocked by owning Shadowbringers. This Job starts at level 60.
• Dancer: A Ranged DPS Job that can be unlocked by owning Shadowbringers. This Job starts at level 60.
• Reaper: A Melee DPS Job that can be unlocked by owning Shadowbringers. This Job starts at level 70.
• Sage: A Healer Job that can be unlocked by owning Shadowbringers. This Job starts at level 70.

For a full understanding on the role of your choice, you can follow the links below for more detailed information.

The Main Scenario Questline (or MSQ, for short) is how you'll progress the story of Eorzea, and how almost all content will unlock. The symbol for these is the iconic "Meteor" mark used in Final Fantasy 14. All MSQ Quests can be tracked through the Journal (in the menu) or through the "Next Main Scenario Quest" widget in the top left hand corner of your HUD. These Quests will have a minimum level requirement, but in almost all cases, you should find yourself over leveled. Being gated by experience is only really applicable during a new Expansion launch.

You may see NPCs with a plus sign above their head. These NPCs will always have something for you to unlock, usually in the form of new content. This new content can be anything from a new dungeon, new trial, or even a new skill through a Job Quest. While usually not immediately important, these Quests are always worth doing and should be given priority after the MSQ.

These Quests are identified by the basic quest icon with nothing extra added into it. The experience gained from these is negligible, and they're mostly used for world building. Feel free to ignore them, unless you're the type of player the feels the need to go for completionist type things.

While the MSQ is the bread and butter of the average player's experience in Final Fantasy 14, at some point, and very early, you will be forced into group content with other players. The combat in this game generally falls into three major categories: Dungeons, Trials, and Raids:

• Dungeons: 4-player content, Dungeons require players to traverse a map, complete objectives, and kill mobs along their way to the end of the pathing These are very casual friendly, and the perfect place to learn how to get better as a new player.
• Trials: 8-player content, Trials are essentially just boss fights. These come in two difficulties, Normal (Or listed as Hard mode, occasionally) and Extreme. Players must complete Normal mode in most cases to progress through the story, and the content is balanced around everyone completing it, while Extreme is the harder version, requiring group coordination to complete the fight.
• Raids: 8-player content, Raids are larger scale boss fights. Similar to Trials, Raids also come in Normal mode and a version called Savage, which is endgame content and rewards players with the best gear obtainable in the game.

While the MSQ may give you plenty of experience for your first Job, Final Fantasy 14 is all about player choice, meaning you can swap to any Job at any time as long as it's unlocked simply by equipping the weapon that Job uses.

To level outside of the MSQ, there's a couple of options:

• Daily Roulettes: Located under Duty Finder, your Roulettes for the day will yield the highest experience on this list, but these can only be completed once daily.
• FATEs: Standing for "Full Active Time Events, FATEs are marked on open world maps by circular icons. They have a time limit, but by finishing the objective within the time frame, you will gain a decent amount of experience.
• Allied Tribal Quests: These can be found later in the game, but supply a reasonable amount of daily experience upon completion. There is also rewards and rankings for doing these, so well worth the time.
• Deep Dungeons and Southern Front: While not accessible super early on, both Deep Dungeons and Southern Front (otherwise known as Bozja) do a great job of leveling alt Jobs while breaking up the monotony of Dungeon spamming.

Aside from the options listed above, there are ways to increase experience gains as well, through both eating food (consumables), Free Company buffs (The Heat of Battle), and Field Manuals gained through your Grand Company. If possible, these should always be on to reduce the amount of time spent leveling your character.