Hey there friends, I hope you’re doing well. I’m Laura—aka WeirdBarbie—and today we’re talking about getting started in FFXI for those of you coming from FFXIV.

If you’re anything like me, your first hours—or days—of FFXIV weren’t exactly… gentle.
Maybe you were overwhelmed.
Maybe you got lost.
Maybe you cried in Gridania. Hey I’m not judging.

The point is: **MMO onboarding can be scary**, and Final Fantasy XI has…. a bit of a reputation.
I know, I know, it’s big, it’s old, it’s weird, and the setup process alone can make you question your life choices but the payoff for indoctrinating yourself into this world is incredible.

So, before anything else:
**You’re okay. You’re safe. You can do this. And I’m going to walk you through everything calmly, slowly, and in plain, XIV-friendly terms.**

“But…but…this game Is hard to set up…”

Yes.
The launcher is ancient.
The menus are old.
The configuration tool looks like something from windows 95.

BUT…Once you’ve done the setup, the actual *playing* part of FFXI is easier than ever.

If you’re on Steam Deck or just struggling to get the game running smoothly I highly recommend this video. For PC, watch this video. Watch a setup tutorial, then come back here once you’re actually in-game.

Game running? Congratulations you made it through the hardest part! I knew you could do it! So now let's talk about topics. In this guide we'll cover all the basics:

• *Starter Jobs
  
• *Choosing a Starting City
  
• *Conquest System
  
• *Player housing,
  
• *The mog garden,
  
• *Inventory management,
  
• *Maps
  
• *Fast travel
  
• *Combat
  
• *Trusts
  
• *Records of Eminence System
  
• *Coalition Assignments
  
• *Training Regimes & Hunts
  
• *Crafting and gathering hobbies
  
• *How and where to get your first 30 levels without having a panic attack.

With all that outta the way, Grab a tea, your favorite hoody and let's dive in.

First off I have to explain that Final Fantasy XIV is a vertical **theme-park MMO** where as FFXI is a horizontal **sandbox MMO with theme-park areas hidden inside** and that alone makes them very different beasts.

Where XIV guides you with quest markers and MSQ flow
XI says,
“Here’s a sword. Here’s a world. get your ass out there and Try not to die. Spoiler: (**You’ll die. a lot.**)”
But that’s part of the charm.

The first thing I want to get across is:

**FFXI is not harder**—just…different.

And thankfully, nearly everything has an equivalent in ff14 you already understand.

So the whole rest of this guide will take XI’s quirks and translate them into XIV concepts.

When you start XI, You create your character based on personal preference, then, you’re offered six basic jobs:

* Warrior
* Monk
* White Mage
* Black Mage
* Red Mage
* Thief

Think of these as your *starter jobs*—like Gladiator or Marauder in ff14—before jobs like Paladin or Bard unlock later.

XI’s advanced jobs are unlocked through quests later, and they’re the real stars.

Just know You are *not* locked in.
You can level every job, weapon type and hobby on one character.

Pick whatever feels least stressful:

• * **Warrior** if you want a simple melee damage/tank-lite
  
• * **White Mage** if you want a safe, comfy solo friendly self-healer
  
• * **Red Mage** if you want utility and ranged damage
  
• * **Thief** if you like moving fast and hitting crits
  
• * **Black Mage** if you want big boom numbers
  
• * **Monk** if you want to punch goblins into orbit

You can change jobs at your Mog House after level 1. No stress.

—
**Starting City**
Your next choice is starting city. Choosing a starting city offers unique lore, aesthetic, and minor perks;

• San d'Oria is great for melee/knights with straightforward layouts,
  
• Windurst is best for mages, with great lore
  
• and Bastok for economy and war fans, offering solid early smithing access

—

Choosing by **Playstyle & Perks**


San d'Oria (aka Sandy):

• (Melee/Knight Focus)
  
• Pros: Good for melee jobs (Elvaan), compact layout, convenient for Wings of the Goddess missions, access to Smithing/Woodworking/Leatherworking guilds.

Windurst (aka Windy):

• (Magic/Crafting Focus)
  
• Pros: Great for mages (Tarutaru/Mithra), access to Weaving/Culinarian guilds

Bastok (aka…Bastok):

• (Economy/War Focus)
  
• Pros: Strong for an economic-minded start (copper/beeswax), access to Smithing/Goldsmithing/Alchemy.

—

Choosing by **Story & Vibe**

• San d'Oria: Focuses on chivalry, the fallen kingdom of Tavnazia, and the Royal Family.
  
• Windurst: Explores the aftermath of war, mage politics, and unique cultures.
  
• Bastok: Deals with war, industry, racism, and political tension.

The key Takeaway for New Players is:
Don't Stress. The biggest difference is aesthetic and minor early-game convenience; your main story will eventually unite you with all the cities.

That being said, Reddit users often recommend Sandy for beginners as it has an easy-to-navigate layout.

You can change nations later by paying a fee, ideally when your current nation is last in Conquest standings (Sort of like your Grand Company in Ff14)

In the games current state, With modern tools like Trust NPCs, the impact of your starting city is minimal, so pick the one you like best.

I mentioned conquest earlier. Now let's talk about it a bit more. Conquest Points (CP) are like FF14s Grand Company points. This system offers rewards for helping your nation. you do so by fighting mobs with Signet active which earns you special currency to buy gear and items from nation vendors, while also contributing "Region Points" that boost your nation's overall Conquest Rank. A higher conquest rank unlocks better shop goods and outpost services.

As I mentioned, You get CP by killing monsters (more XP = more CP), and the points earned are affected by the region's control status (nation-controlled, neutral, or beastman) and your nation's current Conquest ranking.

**How to Earn Conquest Points?**

• Active signet. Before fighting, get Signet cast on you from your nation's guards (found in cities/outposts)
  
• Then go Defeat Monsters: Kill monsters that are Easy Prey, even matches or tough matches while Signet is active; the XP earned directly translates to CP and Region Points.
  
• Check Your Progress by Using the /rmap command or check the Regional Info section in the menu to see your current CP.
  
• Exchange CP at your nation's Conquest Overseers for unique gear, items, and titles, with better items unlocked at higher nation ranks.

**Key Factors Affecting Your Earnings**
Signet is Crucial: No Signet, no CP
Region Control: Killing mobs in a region your nation controls yields more points.
Nation Rank: Higher national rankings (1st, 2nd, 3rd) increase CP gain and unlock more powerful rewards.
Monster Difficulty: Harder mobs give more XP and thus more CP.
Moghancements/Alliances: Special buffs and nation alliances further modify your CP gains.

One system down, 1 million to go. You doing good? Good. If you're Coming from ff14 then i know you've got war stories to tell about acquiring player housing. In FF11 you can unclench your butthole. Your mog house is a permanent, guaranteed home.

I know first hand that In XIV, player housing is basically a competitive sport.
You camp a placard, you lose the lottery, you cry, you eat a cookie, and you try again next patch.

But in Final Fantasy XI?

**You get a house the moment you start the game and you keep it permanently.
no greasy little Lalafell can snipe it from you.**

The Mog House is your safe space. It’s:

• *Your bedroom
  
• * Your crafting room
  
• * Your storage hub
  
• * Your wardrobe
  
• * Your personal cozy bubble where the world can’t hurt you

When you step inside, you can:

• * Change jobs
  
• * Access storage
  
• * Expand your storage and access the mog garden through quests
  
• * Place furniture and decorate
  
• * Listen to comfy music

And yes—the game expects you to use it all the time.
It’s intentionally designed as a **reset zone** where you can breathe, reorient, and manage your character without pressure. I stand in my mog house and mog garden with the same ferocity that I bank stand in OSRS.

If FFXIV housing gave you anxiety,
The Mog House will heal your war wounds.
It gently pets your head and says, “Sweetie, go decorate. Nobody is going to take this away from you.”

**Expanding Your Inventory:**

Now Let’s talk about **inventory space**, because if you’re coming from Final Fantasy XIV, you already know the pain:

• * Retainers full
  
• * Glam boxes full
  
• * Saddlebag full
  
• * You’re holding 47 crafting mats “just in case”
  
• * And suddenly you’re doing high-level calculus about which stack of junk to delete

If you carry any *inventory trauma* from XIV…

**FFXI is actually kinder than you’d expect.**

It gives you **more storage**, **more flexibility**, and **expansions that are permanent** and not tied to rented NPC-workers who cost real money every month (Though renting extra mog safes is an option, with proper management you shouldn't need to do this.)

---

FFXI splits storage into multiple, multiple categories.
It seems complicated at first, but think of it like this:

• Your main inventory (called a gobbiebag)= well…your main inventory
  
• Your **Mog House storage + Mog Safe **= your retainers.
  
• Your **Mog Satchel (Mog Sack) and Mog Case** = your saddlebags.
  
• Your **Mog Wardrobes** = your glamour dresser

All of these inventories can be expanded permanently.

---
**The Gobbiebag**
Let’s start with your main “bag” inventory.

Each "Gobbiebag" upgrade quest in Final Fantasy XI provides an additional 5 inventory spaces. There are ten such quests in total, allowing players to increase their inventory from the starting 30 slots to a maximum of 80.
The upgrades are obtained by completing a series of quests given by Bluffnix in Lower Jeuno (H-9). The player must trade four specific crafting items for each quest, or a "Goblin Stew 880".

—
**The Mog Sack(or satchel)**

the Mog Sack(or satchel) starts with a capacity matching your current main inventory size (your gobbie bag) and can be expanded to a maximum of 80 spaces.

The Mog Sack is a form of portable storage that can be accessed from anywhere in Vana'diel via the menu or the /sack text command.
To access it you must first visit a magical moogle who exists solely to make your inventory life less stressful… by selling you something. He's quite the salesman too.

If you:

• 1. Talk to the Artisan Moogle
  
• 2. Pay **10,000 gil**

…they will **unlock the Mog sack.

Effectively, this means you can:

• * **Double your space**
  
• * Keep collecting items without worrying about running out of space

Here’s the really magical part:

Every time you expand your main bag you can:

1. Return to the Artisan Moogle and They’ll **match your new maximum capacity**for free.

Essentially, your storage grows with you automatically.
—

**Pro Tip:**

Whenever you expand your main bag make it a small ritual to check in with the Artisan Moogle.
It’s a simple task that saves you tons of stress.
Your future self will thank you.
—

**Mog House Storage.**

This storage can only be accessed from Mog Houses and Rent-a-Rooms. Storage is increased by placing Furniture in your Mog House Layout. Every piece of Furniture has at least one storage, but some have more, allowing you to maximize your storage space without taking up as much room in your Mog Safe.

While you can place as much furniture in your Layout as your Mog House allows, your Mog House can only have a maximum of 80 storage spaces. Any additional storage is "wasted". Additionally, while you can place any type of Item in your Mog Safe your Storage has one restriction: you cannot store Furniture items in your Storage. (Why are you trying to hide that bed under that flowerpot, kupo?)
—

**The Mog Safes**

These are only accessed from **inside your Mog House**, and they act exactly like FFXIV retainers in terms of storage role:

• * Item dumping ground
  
• * Long-term storage
  
• * Crafting materials
  
• * Furniture
  
• * Random junk you swear you’ll use someday

Difference is:

You upgrade Mog Safe space by completing small, cozy quests given by your moogle.

That’s it.

---

**Mog Wardrobes 1–8 **

Think of these as:
**Your glamour dresser + your glam plates all fused into one system.**
Except you can **equip gear directly from the wardrobe** without taking it out first.

• Wardrobes 1 & 2 are free
  
• 3–8 are optional service upgrades

But even just the first two give you a ton of equipment space.

**How it Works**

1. Get nekkid, this will transfer any equipment into your inventory—
2. move these items into your **Mog Wardrobe**.

* Weapons, armor, shields, accessories, everything.
* This removes them from your main bag, freeing up precious inventory space.

. When you go to **equip gear**, instead of scrolling through your main inventory to select it, you can now **select from your Mog Wardrobe**.

* Want to swap your sword for another one on the fly? Choose it from your wardrobe.
* Want to switch armor sets for different roles or jobs? No problem—everything is right there.

4. This is **completely permanent**, and your wardrobe continues to grow as you unlock more slots via mog house quests.

• * No more cluttered bags full of equipment you only wear occasionally
  
• * No losing items in a dungeon because you ran out of space
  
• * Wardrobes are **accessible anytime**, anywhere
  
• * Switching jobs or roles is stress-free because you can store and access multiple sets without touching your main inventory

---
**The Mog Locker**
This is an expanded item storage which you can access after completing specific in-game missions. Unlike the standard, free "Mog Safe," the Mog Locker requires periodic "lease" payments using in-game currency.

to Access Players must complete the Aht Urhgan Mission 2: "Immortal Sentries"
Access is granted via a lease system. The lease is paid for by trading Imperial Bronze Pieces to the NPC Fubruhn in Al Zahbi or to a Moogle.

The locker starts with 30 slots and can be expanded up to a maximum of 80 slots by trading other Imperial currency items (Mythril and Gold Pieces) to Fubruhn.

If the lease expires, the items stored within the Mog Locker are not permanently lost, but they become inaccessible until the player renews the lease payment.

—
**Mog Case**

The Mog Case provides adventurers 80 slots and is accessible in any location using the menu system

Usage: Items must be moved from the Mog Case into your main inventory before they can be equipped, used, or sold in a bazaar.

Access Command: You can access it via the in-game main menu under "View House" or by using the text command /case.

Cost: The Mog Case is a free feature and is available to all characters on an account.
—

Now lets talk about our last special storage option: **The Ephemeral Moogle**. They are specifically for Storing Crystals and found all over Vana'diel.

• 1. The first time you visit an Ephemeral Moogle, speak to him and hear what he has to say.
  
• 2. Trade crystals or clusters to the Ephemeral Moogle.
  
• The trade will be cancelled if it would put your total stored crystals of a given element at more than 5,000.
  
• More than one type of crystal can be traded at once.
  
• Your quantity of crystals currently stored can be viewed from the Currencies list on the Status menu.

**To Withdraw Crystals**

• 1. Speak with the Ephemeral Moogle and ask to have crystals returned to you.
  
• 2. The moogle will inquire as to which element you would like. Select the appropriate one.
  
• 3. Designate the number you would like to receive or instruct the moogle to return as many as you can hold

Now if all that weren't enough to boggle your brain, hang tight, because you also have the Mog Garden!

If you're coming from Final Fantasy XIV, you might be familiar with the Island Sanctuary—your relaxed, personal little retreat where nothing can hurt you.

**The Mog Garden in Final Fantasy XI is that same idea… but much simpler, calmer, and available way earlier.**

In a game that can feel overwhelming or intimidating at the beginning, the Mog Garden is your **built-in comfort zone**.

Your Mog Garden includes:

• * Your Mog Safe
  
• * Gardening
  
• * Fishing
  
• * Excavating
  
• * Logging
  
• * Monster Rearing
  
• * Gil Storage
  
• * Delivery Box (mailbox) Access
  
• * Gatherable Resources
  
• * Crystal Storage via Ephemeral Moogle after purchasing a Shimmering Invitation (costs 15 Shining Stars)

---

**How to Access Your Mog Garden**

Before you can go there, you’ll need:

• * **The Seekers of Adoulin expansion installed**
  
• * **A Pioneer's Badge** (You'll get this after obtaining the Geomagnetron and unlocking Adoulin. I'll walk you through all of this don't worry)

Once you’ve got that, you can enter your Mog Garden from several places:

• * **Cunegonde** in *Eastern Adoulin (G-11)*
  
• * **Dangueubert** in *Western Adoulin (H-11)*
  
• 
  
• * Mog Dinghies in
  
  • * *Port San d'Oria (I-8)*
    
  • * *Port Bastok (K-11)*
    
  • * *Port Windurst (C-8)*
• * Or by selecting **“Mog Garden”** inside your Mog House as long as you’ve completed the Mog House Exit quest

—
**Green Thumb Moogle**

Upon zoning into your Mog Garden for the first time, your Green Thumb Moogle will greet you and start a mini-questline. Your moogle here functions very similarly to your moogle in your Mog House, but has a couple unique perks. Your Green Thumb Moogle can do the following:

• *Give access to key items that can be unlocked
  
• *Offers advice about your garden and teach you aspects of managing it.
  
• *Transport you from your Garden to Eastern or Western Adoulin.
  
• *Extends Assistant Contracts (all methods extend their contract by one earth week)
  
• *Provides Access to normal mog house services (Mog Safe, Storage, Mog Locker, Delivery Box, and Job Change).
  
• *Can be used as a vendor to purchase certain seeds used for your Furrows (items can also be sold to the Moogle).
  
• *Sells Goblin Stew 880 which can be exchanged for gobbie bag expansion. it costs 100,000 gil during a recurring in-game event called the Mog Gardens Campaign. It may also be sold by the NPC Pawkrix for 150,000 gil, but the Mog Garden Moogle is generally cited as the cheaper and more consistent source during the campaign period. You trade the Goblin Stew 880 to Bluffnix at Muckvix's Junk Shop in Lower Jeuno (H-9).

—
**Expanding the Mog Garden**
The Mog Garden starts small, but it grows with you. To expand it, you’ll talk to **Zenicca** in *Western Adoulin (E-9)* and purchase upgrade items.

As you level up your garden, you can use:

**Garden Furrows**
Plant seeds to grow crafting materials or items you can sell.
Seeds come from the **Green Thumb Moogle** or **Old Bellows** in Eastern Adoulin.

**Arboreal Grove**
Chop wood and gather lumber.
Think: tiny, personal logging node.

**Mineral Vein**
Mine ores, crystals, and metals.
Your private, no-competition mining spot.

**Pond**
Fish in a small, cozy freshwater pond.
Simple, reliable, and relaxing.

**Coastal Fishing Net**
Collect saltwater fish and occasionally special items along the beach.

**Monster Rearing**
This is extremely cute.
You raise creatures—from tiny babies to grown forms—by feeding and petting them.

They can give you:

• *Mementos**
  
• * New shop items
  
• * “Cheer” effects (temporary global buff* *s)

It’s extremely wholesome.
Perfect for winding-down sessions when everything else in the game starts to feel too hard.

---
**Assistants**

You can hire up to **three helpers** in your garden who automatically gather resources for you.
They cost **10,000 gil per week**, and their efforts stack:

• * More helpers = more materials
  
• * Helpers + fertilizer/bait = even better returns

This makes the Mog Garden a **steady, passive income source** for crafters or casual players.

—
**Campaigns**

There are also two types of mog garden campaigns that may run any given month. They offer multiple bonuses to all aspects of your Mog Garden:

**Mog Gardens Campaign**
When this Monthly Adventurer Campaign is active, the Mog Garden will undergo the following modifications throughout the duration:
One of the Crabauble crabs that wander the beach turns into a Cargo Crab model.
The number of Shining Stars received when entering a Mog Garden will be doubled.
An additional item is obtained when checking the Flotsam.
Items may be harvested from Monster Rearing twice per day.

**Monster Breeding / Rearing Campaign**
As of the July 2025 Version Update, this Campaign is now permanently active.
When this Monthly Adventurer Campaign is active, it is easier to evolve monsters.
Monsters that you are rearing are simply twice as likely to evolve. Normal food requirements for evolution, as well as feeding procedures are still in effect.
—

**The GPS Crystal — Your Daily Star**

On your first visit, you get a **GPS Crystal**.
Every Earth day (after midnight JST), the first time you step into your garden, you get a **Shining Star**.
One star can also be obtained for every bottle of Star Sprinkles that you trade to your Green Thumb Moogle.

You can exchange Stars for various services, items, and key items such as:
Teleportation services:

• * Gil repository (adds a gil storage chest near the Mineral Vein) that can hold up to 1,000,000,000 gil.
  
• *Purchase one earth week of work from assistants Kuyin, Yeestog and Susuroon
  
• *Coalition Humus
  
• *Super Baitballs
  
• *Chum
  
• *The Crab caller which adds one additional Crabauble to the beach
  
• *Coalition Fertilizer
  
• *A Shimmering invitation for adding ephemeral moogle access
  and
  
• *Serum: This is a special item available Once the **Inventors' Coalition** has been edified with a Second Floor. Ceciliotte will appear there, offering bait, serum, and fertilizer, which can be used to temporarily enhance the geological locations within the Mog Garden. Each geological feature can only be under the effect of one enhancer at a time. Adding a new enhancer before the old one has worn off will overwrite any effects the first enhancer used had on the location. Enhancements from Assistants will not be overwritten by an Enhancer item, and stack with any item currently in use.*

*Each item is designed to enhance only one geological location. For instance, Coalition Humus can only be used on the Garden Furrows, and cannot be used on the Mineral Veins. We'll discuss Coalition Assignments a little later.

**General Rule**
For the most casual play, you can generally check most of your Mog Garden spots once per day for consistent, steady progression and item gain.

Whew! That was a ton of information to absorb, so let's take a slow deep breath. Better? Perfect, let's move on.

Old MMOs can be intimidating but remember:

• * You don’t have to expand anything immediately
  
• * Nothing is timed
  
• * Nothing disappears
  
• * You can’t lose your storage

Alright , let’s talk about something that can feel intimidating at first:
**Maps and Fast Travel**.

**Maps**

Unlike XIV, the game doesn’t hand you a fully detailed map of every area right away.
That can feel scary if you’re coming from a modern MMO—but it’s actually an intentional system. It encourages exploration at your own pace, and it gives you a sense of accomplishment when you find things yourself.
---

**How to Obtain Maps**

Maps are not automatically given—you’ll need to **buy or earn most of them**. There are three main ways:

1. **Map Sellers in Towns**
Every major city has an NPC who sells area maps. Visiting these NPCs early ensures you have at least the basic area maps for the zones around each city.

2. **Quest Rewards**
Some maps are awarded through quests. For instance, completing introductory missions or special exploration objectives will sometimes grant a map for a nearby region.

3. **Bayld Purchases via Coalition Assignments**

• * If you’ve unlocked **Coalition Assignments**—FFXI’s version of XIV’s guild leves—you earn a special currency called **Bayld**.
  
• Many maps, especially for expansion areas or special zones, can be purchased using Bayld at certain NPCs in cities like **Jeuno** or **Al Zahbi**.
  
• Think of these assignments as completing levequest-style content to earn rewards that make exploring easier.
  
• * It’s optional, but a great way to expand your map collection without wandering aimlessly, earn city reputation, gil and xp!

---

**Pro Tips**

• * Check the map whenever you enter a new zone.
  
• * Attune to flashing Home Points, Cavernous Maws and Survival Guides as you explore—they’re free and permanent.
  
• * Stop by **map-selling NPCs** early in each city to pick up surrounding area maps.
  
• * Consider completing Coalition Assignments if you want Bayld to buy optional maps. (I'll explain these later)
  
• * Use your map as a gentle guide, not a strict checklist. Let exploration be soothing, not stressful.

—

**The teleport systems consist of five pillars:**

• * **Home Points** –
  
• * **Survival Guides** –
  
• * **Geomagnetic Founts** –
  
• *** Cavernous Maws.
  
• ***Airships

Once you unlock these, traveling becomes relatively easy.
You are *not* doomed to walk everywhere forever.
—

**Home Points**– These are large, glowing blue crystals used as personal spawn points. A player sets one specific Home Point as their "home" (e.g., at an Outpost or in a city near a Mog House) to which they can return instantly upon being K.O.'d or by using a Warp scroll/spell. Once a Home Point crystal is activated, it stops flashing on your map and becomes a teleport destination, allowing travel to other activated Home Points in the network for a fee (which can be reduced with certain key items).

**Survival Guides** – These are floating books that also serve as a teleportation network. Once examined, they allow instant travel to other activated Survival Guides for a small tab fee. They are strategically placed near dungeon entrances/exits and outposts, making them useful for reaching specific adventuring areas quickly. Tabs are earned by completing training regime tasks.

**Geomagnetic Founts** – These are specific points that function as destinations only within the Waypoint travel system. They cannot be used to initiate a warp, but players can teleport to them from an attuned Proto-Waypoint (found in city states and the Adoulin areas) by spending Kinetic Units (KU). They are typically found in more remote or dangerous field and dungeon areas.

**Cavernous Maws** – These are mysterious, grotesque portals that serve as gateways between present-day Vana'diel and the past (Shadowreign era), as well as Abyssea areas. Initially, they are used to start the Wings of the Goddess mission line and require obtaining a Pure White Feather key item to pass through. Once certain conditions are met, specific maws can be used to travel directly between the present and past eras in either direction for no cost.

**Airships**--- There are two different airship passes in Final Fantasy XI (FFXI): the standard Airship Pass for travel between the main nations and Jeuno, and the Airship Pass for Kazham.

**Standard Airship Pass**
This pass allows travel between San d'Oria, Bastok, Windurst, and Jeuno.
How to get it: You automatically receive the standard Airship Pass as a key item upon completing Rank 5 of your nation's missions.
Alternative method: The pass can also be purchased from the NPC Derrick in Lower Jeuno for 500,000 gil.

**Airship Pass for Kazham**
This pass is required to use the airship service between Port Jeuno and Kazham, a key location for accessing the Elshimo regions.

To get it: You must complete the "Kazham Airship Pass" quest, offered by the NPC Guddal at the Kazham Airship Terminal in Port Jeuno (I-7). Guddal offers two options:

• *Pay 148,000 gil.
  Or
  
• *Trade three specific keys obtained ( rare drops from beastmen):
  
• * **Giddeus Chest Key from Yagudo in Giddeus.**
  
• * **Ghelsba Chest Key from Orcs in Fort Ghelsba or Yughott Grotto.**
  
• * **Palborough Mines Chest Key from Quadavs in Palborough Mines.**

In modern FFXI, the Rhapsodies of Vanadiel mission line provides access to numerous fast-travel options, including Home Point and Outpost warps, which often make the airships unnecessary for travel. The passes may still be obtained for completionist reasons or the classic experience.

Now, Let's switch gears a little and discuss **Combat**. in the early game its Strategic, Straight forward and Surprisingly Comfy*. that changes later on but thats a topic for another video.

FFXIV players, listen closely:

**FFXI combat is not “slow”—it’s *tactical*.** Okay? okay.

It’s a turn-based system in a click and wait trench coat.
—
**Check Your Target**

Before engaging a new enemy, always check them first. This is how you stay alive. They will either be Too Weak and give no exp, Easy Prey for average xp, an Even Match for increased xp, or Tough for mega xp. Stick to Easy Prey or Even Matches unless you've got a full party of trusts including a healer.

—
**Attack!**

Once you've checked them, select attack. This will start your auto-attack. Your auto attack speed is based on your weapon. Light one handed weapons typically attack faster and do less damage while bigger two hand weapons attack slower but for more damage.
Auto attacks build TP.

Weapon Skills cost 1000 TP and increase in power the more TP you have (up to 3000) and feel like mini-limit breaks.

Job Skills are tied to your job and usually have a long cool down timer on them.

Magic uses mp and is slower as you have a cast timer, but some spells can be very strong.
You don't have to worry about songs or ninjutsu or anything like that until much later in the game.
—
**EXP Loss**

If XIV combat is “dance choreography,”
XI combat is “calculated fencing.”

At level 31 you will start taking an xp hit for every death so its more important than ever to get in the habit of checking enemies before engaging.

Mob difficulty is geared towards group play but you can absolutely solo almost the entire game thanks to **Trusts**, which are your AI party members.

Trusts are **FFXI’s version of XIV’s Trust/Duty Support system**, except:

• * You can summon them basically *anywhere*
  
• * They never complain
  
• * They don’t judge your gear
  
• * They can’t vote-kick you
  
• * They will follow you into your worst decisions and die for you with unconditional loyalty

The game gives you a plethora of unique healers, tanks, and DPS options to choose from—over 100!

The game is never going to force you into a dungeon with strangers.
*You always have a party.*
This alone should fix 75% of your onboarding anxiety.

Trusts let you speed farm and stay alive.
—

**Accessing Trusts**

**Reach Level 5** then Speak to one of the Trust Initiative Recruiters in a starting city to accept the quest:

• *Port Bastok (K-7): Clarion Star
  
• *Southern San d'Oria (L-6): Gondebaud
  
• *Windurst Woods (G-10): Wetata

**Complete the Quest:** The quest simply requires you to go to a nearby field area, use the Trust magic spell the NPC provides, and then return to the NPC to receive your first Trust permit and alter egos.

Once you have your first Trust permit, you can acquire Several Trusts immediately upon completing the tutorial-related RoE objectives. These reward you with ciphers (items used to learn the Trust spell) for more Trusts. Simply go to the trust NPC, select them, open the menu and trade the cipher to them. then head out of the city to summon your new trust! Repeat until you have your initial handful.

There are many more ways to earn Trusts, too many to list in this video. the wiki is your best friend if you decide to go out pokem—I mean, Trust hunting.

Now lets talk **Records of Eminence (RoE):**
Your **MSQ-By-Another-Name**

Think of RoE as:

**XIV’s Challenge Log + Duty Roulette + Hunt Log + MSQ-style objectives all combined.**

You open your RoE menu.
You accept objectives like:

• * “Defeat 30 enemies”
  
• * “Use X weaponskill”
  
• * “Kill a monster of this element”
  
• * “Explore this region”

RoE is your guaranteed progression path.
If you do nothing else but RoE + Trusts, you will level safely and comfortably.

• You complete them just by playing normally.
  
• You earn sparks instantly.
  
• You use sparks to buy full sets of beginner gear.

—

**Pro Tip**
**Sparks can be turned into vendor items worth huge amounts of cash.** (Acheron Shield in particular)
Meaning:
**RoE aren't just free XP.
They're the single fastest money-making method in the early game.**”
—
**Unlocking RoE**

Records of Eminence—are unlocked by talking to a specific NPC in your starting city. Here's where you can find them.

• * **San d’Oria:** *Rolandienne* [G-10]
  
• * **Bastok:** *Isakoth*[E-11]
  
• * **Windurst:** *Fhelm Jobeizat*[J-10]

They give you a simple tutorial quest. Go do it and once unlocked, RoEs give you access to:

• ✔ Spark rewards
  
• ✔ Gil rewards
  
• ✔ EXP
  
• ✔ Skill-up items
  
• ✔ And the sparks to gil trick

---

** Pro Tip: ALWAYS TURN THESE ON**
RoEs aren't passive unless you MAKE them passive.

Right now, you should activate:

** Basic Combat Objectives**

• * Vanquish 1 enemy
  
• * Vanquish 5 enemies
  
• * Vanquish multiple enemies
  
• * Deal X amount of damage (WS, magic, skill-specific tasks)
  
• These refresh automatically when completed and constantly generate sparks.

**Daily Objectives** (usually tied to enemies killed or xp gained)

**Weekly Objective: ‘Gives tasks like accumulate 5000 EXP’**
These reset every Earth day or earth week on Sunday and pay huge amounts of sparks
—

**Pro Tip**

This is the part the game absolutely never tells you: As you move around Vana’diel, different regions have their **own sets of RoE objectives**.
So whenever you enter:

• * Ronfaure
  
• * Gustaberg
  
• * Sarutabaruta
  
• * Valkurm
  
• * Qufim
  
• * Etc…

go into the menu and **update your region objectives**.

**Why?**
Because region objectives give **bonus EXP** and **bonus sparks** on every kill.
If you forget to update your region…
you’re basically throwing free money away.”

Make it a habit:
**New zone → open RoE → accept region objectives → profit.**

**Training Regimes** are much like RoEs. These are repeatable kill-count quests offered via Grounds/Fields of Valor books, providing experience, gil, and tabs for general leveling/teleports via the survival guides.

**Hunts** (accessed via the Hunt Registry usually found beside a survival guide) are daily Notorious Monster (NM) kills that reward a different currency, Scylds, and Evolith used for buying specific gear augmentation.

Next, let's discuss Coalition Assignments in more detail. These are like Guild Leves— repeatable tasks you unlock in the Adoulin expansion.
And unlike normal quests, they give you:

• * **EXP (thousands, even at low levels)**
  
• * **Gil rewards**
  
• * **Bayld** — a currency used for great gear, items, mounts, and resale profit
  
• * **Incredibly easy-to-do tasks** that take 1–3 minutes each

In other words, they’re the perfect complementary gil/EXP method once you unlock Adoulin access.
The game never explains this cleanly, so here’s the actual step-by-step route.

—
**Getting Started**

To get access to new teleport options and access andoulin you need to get the Geomagnetron. you must start and complete the Seekers of Adoulin mission "The Geomagnetron".

1: **Start the Mission**

• *Travel to Lower Jeuno.
  
• *Locate the NPC Darcia at (H-7), inside the Chamber of Commerce and Industry building (across from the Auction House).
  
• *Speak with Darcia and select the option "I would like to apply!" to begin the mission and receive a list of locations where you can attune the device.

Note: If you have already completed the Rhapsodies of Vana'diel mission "The River Runs Red," you will have already received the Geomagnetron as a key item. In this case, simply speak to Darcia to complete the mission immediately and receive your Adoulinian charter permit.

Step 2: **Attune the Geomagnetron**
You must visit one of the various dungeons in Vana'diel and use the Geomagnetron Key Item at a specific Geomagnetic Fount location. You only need to attune it at one location.

A common and relatively easy location is Gustav Tunnel: the fount is located at (G-10) on Map 1, near the pond closest to the Cape Teriggan exit.
Other options include locations in King Ranperre's Tomb, Monastic Cavern, Korroloka Tunnel, and others listed in the FFXI Wiki guide. Bring a high-level friend or use Sneak and Invisible spells/items (e.g., Silent Oils and Prism Powders) to navigate safely through the more dangerous areas.

Step 3: **Return to Darcia**

• *After attuning the device at a fount, return to Darcia in Lower Jeuno.
  
• *Speak with her to receive the Adoulinian charter permit, which is your ticket to the new lands.

Step 4: **Access Adoulin**
Once you have the permit, activate the blue Waypoint device located at (H-7) in Lower Jeuno (near Darcia's building).
This will teleport you to Ceziak Battleground

From here, run east, sticking to the left path, to eventually reach a **Frontier Station** where you can attune your geomagnetron, then proceed into Western Adoulin. You can use the FFXI Wiki for detailed maps and guides.

Once you've unlocked Andoulin make sure you get your **Pioneers Badge**. You obtain it by completing the first Seekers of Adoulin mission, "Pioneer Registration".

• *Go to Western Adoulin (E-8)
  
• *Speak with the NPC Brenton at the Pioneers' Coalition building for a cutscene.

Upon completion of the cutscene, you will receive the **Pioneer's Badge, a Map of Adoulin, and 1,000 Bayld.**

After obtaining the badge, it is recommended to speak to a Task Delegator NPC at any coalition headquarters to begin accruing Imprimaturs, which are necessary for undertaking further assignments.

—

**How to unlock each Coalition:**

Just **talk to the NPC at the front counter** of a Coalition.
They’ll give you a short intro, and you’ll be allowed to take assignments.

You can accept tasks from **any** Coalition at any time.

---

**Accepting Your First Coalition Assignment**

Inside each Coalition tent is an interaction NPC:

• * **Task Delegators** (primary mission acceptor)

Talk to one and you’ll see available assignments.

---

**Completing an Assignment**

Each assignment gives you **step-by-step instructions**:

• * **Pioneers** – clearing obstacles
  
• * **Couriers** – delivering items
  
• * **Inventors** – supplying materials
  
• * **Scouts** – mapping or discovering areas
  
• * **Security** – clearing enemies
  
• * **Mummers** – performing local tasks

Follow the objective, return to the Delegator, and turn it in.

---

**Coalition Assignments rewards:**

**1: EXP — and LOTS of it**

Early tasks give **2,500–7,000 EXP** each.
Higher-level tasks give **15k–30k+ EXP**.

This stacks with your **Records of Eminence bonuses**.

**2: Bayld — the real prize**

Assignments give **600–1,500 Bayld** for early tasks.
Bayld is extremely valuable because you can spend it on:

• * Armor
  
• * Tools
  
• * Skirmish unlocks
  
• * Adoulin progression
  
• * Map purchases
  
• * **And you can convert many Bayld-purchasable items into gil**

**3: Gil**

Assignments themselves don’t give direct gil,
but the *items you unlock* with Bayld do.

Some Bayld purchases vendor for **10k+ each**.

This makes Coalition tasks one of the
**best money-making systems for new players**.
---

**Which Coalitions Are Best for Beginners?**

For quick money and easy experience, stick to these three:

**Pioneers Coalition**

• Tasks: Removing obstructions or gathering simple items
  
• Time required: **1–2 mins**
  
• Rewards: Exp + gil + Bayld
  
• Difficulty: brain-dead easy

**Couriers Coalition**

• Tasks: Delivering items within Adoulin
  
• Time required: **30 seconds – 1 min**
  
• Rewards: Moderate Bayld + EXP
  
• Difficulty: Literally walking

**Inventors Coalition**

• Tasks: Supplying easily accessible materials
  
• Time required: **1–3 mins**
  
• Rewards: Good Bayld + decent EXP
  
• Difficulty: Literally walking

These are all fast, safe, and require no combat.
Meaning even a level 10 can start banking gil and Bayld immediately.

Both might look complicated at first, but I promise: they're **slow, methodical, and deeply satisfying** once you get the hang of it.

---
**Crafting**
Crafting is broken down similar to how crafting jobs in XIV:

• * **Carpenter** – woodwork, furniture, and bows
  
• * **Blacksmith** – weapons, tools, and armor
  
• * **Goldsmith** – jewelry, rings, and accessories
  
• * **Leatherworker** – leather armor and shields
  
• * **Weaver** – cloth armor, robes, and bags
  
• * **Alchemist** – potions, elixirs, and consumables
  
• * **Boneworker** – bones into tools, weapons, or crafting materials
  
• * **Cook** – food buffs and potions

You can level **all of them** on one character.

If XIV’s crafting is like a **fast-paced mini-game**, FFXI crafting is more like a **chill puzzle with a timer you set yourself**:

• 1. **Select a recipe you want to make from the wiki**
  
• 2. **Gather the materials**
  
• 3. **Attempt the craft**
  
• i say attempt because There’s a success/failure chance based on your skill level, gear, and buffs
  
• 4. **Receive the item**

It’s slow, intentional, and relaxing—perfect if you like taking your time and enjoying a “ritual” gameplay loop.

---

**Pro Tip: Start With Easy Crafts**

If you’re anxious about failing or wasting materials, begin with:

• * Cooking simple food
  
• * Alchemy potions
  
• * Low-level armor or weapons you can sell or use

Once you feel comfortable, you can experiment with **more complex recipes**.
—

**Gathering**
Now lets cover the more **Gathering oriented hobbies**.

1. **Fishing**
Unlike other crafts and hobbies, fishing requires a certain degree of interaction in order to achieve results. Wait a few seconds for a bite. When a bite comes, the fish's stamina bar will appear over your head. Arrows will appear at your left and right. Hit the directional keys or move the controller's toggle within the time limit of the arrow's appearance to lower the fish's stamina (its HP bar), and stop pressing anything when the fish's stamina hits zero (the fish will not thrash if you aren't pressing anything). Press enter (or confirm) to reel it in. If you continue to press a directional key after the fish's stamina hits zero (the stamina bar will go dark), there is a chance that it could regain a sliver of health and break your line upon attempting to reel it in

• * You can fish anywhere there’s water, and each zone has unique fish.
  
• * Fish can be sold, cooked, or used in crafting—so even this hobby contributes to progression if you want it to.
  
• *You can make fishing rods using the Woodworking skill, combining materials like Willow Lumber/Bamboo Stick with Grass Thread, or fixing broken rods with Wood/Lumber, with higher-tier rods like Yew requiring better materials and skill, but many players prefer questing for powerful, unique rods like the Lu Shang's Fishing Rod for endgame fishing.

2. **Clamming**

• *Using a bucket and shovel, you travel to the islands off the coast of Bibiki Bay. Here you try to see how much you can fit in one bucket without it breaking. Materials you obtain are used in a variety of crafts, or can be sold directly to a merchant for profit.

3. **Logging**

• * Chop trees for carpentry materials.
  
• * Low-pressure, repetitive, satisfying.
  
• * live your rugged lumberjack fantasy

4. **Excavating**

• * Mine ores for blacksmithing or goldsmithing.
  
• * Simple, intentional, slow-paced, and relaxing.
  
• *diggy diggy hole diggy diggy hole

5. **Harvesting**

• * Collect herbs, flowers, or crafting materials.
  
• * No timers, no competitive queues, just exploration.
  
• *flower power baby

6. **Chocobo Raising, Racing & Digging**

• * Breed and raise your own personal chocobo for riding and racing. This is a very detailed in depth system for fans of animal breeding games and horse racing sims, too in depth to fit it all into this guide, but I plan to make one in the future.
  
• *Chocobos will also gladly dirty their beaks for a taste of gyshal greens, and you can dig up quite a variety of items. Materials you obtain are varied, and depend largely on the area in which you are digging.

---
**Pro Tip**
Remember to set Crafting and Gathering RoEs before delving in!

• * RoE will give you objectives like:
  
• * “Craft 5 potions”
  
• * “Make 10 pieces of armor”
  
• * Completing these gives EXP, Sparks, and often gear or recipes

It’s basically **FFXI’s version of the Challenge Log**, helping you progress without stress or guesswork.

If you’re anxious about what to choose, start with:

• * Fishing or gathering near your starting city
  
• * Crafting items from your collected materials
  
• * Slowly working your way up to Chocobo Raising or farming higher-level materials

This way, hobbies **feel relaxing, not overwhelming**, and they give you a gentle sense of progress in the background.

If the idea of “open world leveling” sounds scary, let me simplify the entire early game into one loop:

• *Head into zone
  
• *Summon your Trust party
  
• *Select your RoE objectives
  
• *Kill monsters nearby
  
• *Gather materials,
  
• *Return to city
  
• *Upgrade your gear with sparks or gil
  
• *Visit Mog House
  
• *Visit Mog Garden
  
• *Store things
  
• *Sell things
  
• *Craft things
  
• *Repeat

The game is easier than ever for new players. **Here's a few zones to move through as you level.**

Levels 1-10 (Your Home Nation)

• *San d'Oria: East Ronfaure.
  
• *Windurst: East Sarutabaruta (fight bees, Mandragoras).
  
• *Bastok: North/South Gustaberg (fight bees, worms).

Levels 10-20 (The Dunes)

• *Valkurm Dunes: The classic spot for levels 10-20, great for group play.

Levels 20-30+ (Island Hopping)

• *Qufim Island: A popular next step from the Dunes for levels 20s to 30s, but watch out for powerful mobs that appear at night (Wights, Elementals).
  
• *Konschtat Highlands: Another option for the 10-20 range, especially if staying closer to Bastok.

Mid-Levels (30s+)

• *Garlaige Citadel: Excellent for mid-30s, especially around Gate 1 (requires Invisibility).
  
• *Crawler's Nest: Good for levels 30-38, near Garlaige.
  
• *Escha - Zi'tah: Highly recommended from the mid-30s up to high 80s/90s.

Take another deep breath.
There’s a lot to do in this game, and choosing where to begin can feel overwhelming—but remember, there’s no wrong answer. Your starting point is personal and entirely up to you.

For me, I started by exploring the world: unlocking major cities, grabbing Home Points, picking up fast-travel options… just easing myself into the map at my own pace and leveling along the way.
After that, I drifted into chocobo raising and spending time on my Mog house and Garden. I'm a combat and gear second, cozy hobbies first kind of person so if you're the opposite working on RoEs and Coalition Assignments first may be more your speed!

That’s the beauty—and honestly the terror—of Final Fantasy XI: this game gives you immense freedom and almost no hand-holding or railroading.
that freedom means you've got to shape your own journey, step by step, in whatever way feels most enjoyable for you.

**Don't fret: FFXI is a gentle beast once you tame it.**

If XIV was your chaotic partying teenage years, then XI is the old comfortable cabin in the woods you go to to relax as an adult. the place you go to find yourself.

If you found this guide helpful please consider liking or following for more to come in the future.

If you want more information there are tons of fantastic guides on Steam, the wiki, reddit and on youtube. I plan to have a whole playlist of guides on my channel Lofi Leveling for new players, all built specifically for folks coming from XIV.

Thank you for being here, friends, and welcome to Vana’diel.
It’s been waiting for you a long time.