Getting Started FFXIV Guide

The first quest of Final Fantasy 14 is the hardest. It is the stopper that every hardcore gamer tends to struggle with. Creating your character and giving him/her a name.

Character Creation

Don't listen to anyone telling you to hurry up, it doesn't matter that you're friends need you in there before they go on a mission, nor does it matter if the wife is waiting for you in the bedroom (or the husband). All that matters at this point in the game s that you have fun and create a character you want to take through the story of a lifetime.

Of course, you don't have to stick with your first character. You can get an in game potion called a fantasia which will allow you to completely change your appearance. For minor changes to your character, you can unlock an in game hairdresser. There is simply something special about playing through the game with one character so take the time to get it right.

The name you choose will be used in game, but not out loud. NPCs that speak will have nicknames for you, most memorable is the time Raubhan came to my side and said you alright lass? However, main NPCs will use your name in cutscenes that are not voiced, so choose the name wisely. Both first and last name as some NPCs will call you by your first name, others by your last name, still others will use both. 

Classes

Choose the class that best suits your play style. You can play every class in the game and change between them freely, this is just a starting point that determines how you begin and which area you start in. NOTE: there are classes beyond the starting classes that you can pick up once you have started the game, like rogue, samurai or reaper.

DPS

Pugilist. Using your fists, feet and positions to win combat. Starts in Uldah.

Lancer. Using a big pole and going in for a stabby stab. They play a big part in the heavensward expansion. Starts in Gridania.

Archer. Music, support, and awesome ranged shots. Starts in Gridania.

Thaumaturge. Magical ranged. Blast your enemies with fire or freeze them with ice. Starts in Uldah.

Arcanist. Summon friends to fight by your side. The arcanist can eventually become a healer or a more powerful DPS. This class starts in Limsa Lominsa.

Healer

Conjurer. The gentle touch of the starting healer class begins in Gridania. 

Tank

Gladiator. Swords and shields, a true knight in shining armour. This tale begins in Uldah.

Marauder. The fighting style of the pirates, you wield an axe to the detriment of anyone who stands in your way. Limsa Lominsa is your first port of call.

The Journey Begins

Yes, we have three journey begins sections. One for Gridania, one for Ul'dah and one for Limsa Lominsa. Yes, I played through the opening three times to get you this information. No, I did not record it, but if you wish to see the Ul'dah opening watch the Lord of Chaos Youtube video which I will eventually link here. (one thing at a time). 

All three openings are more or less the same thing with different accents and difficulties. The real journey begins after you've visited the adventurers guild in your state and completed the opening quests. After the opening quests you will see each quest and side quest in their own articles. For a flawless story of all the Main Quest Scenarios, read through the MSQs in order or watch the recordings made by LordofChaos147. 

Limsa Lominsa

Opening cutscene.

Disembodied voice: Hear... Hear. Feel... Hear. Feel. Think.

Grizzled Passenger: Oi! Y'all right, lass?

 You were moanin in your sleep an' sweatin' buckets besides. Rollin' of the ship got your stomach churnin', has it?

Hmmm... Don't seem like seasickness, now that I look at you. It'll be the aether, then, I reckon.

Some are more sensitive to the stuff than others, see, an' we ain't too far from Vylbrand now, which is chock-full of aetherytes.

No need to fret, though. You'll soon get used to it.

Eurgh. Might as well have been bloomin' sea sickness... Ship's leapin' round like a demented chocobo today.

I reckon I might head out on deck - get meself a breath of fresh air.

Limsa Lominsa's still a fair way off, in case you were wonderin'. Seein' as you're awake an' all, how's about you keep me company till we get there?

Them young'uns don't much care for conversation, see.

Anyroad, Brennan's the name, an' peddlin's me trade.

Ah, smell that salty sea breeze!

Now, then, lass, judgin' by your unusual garments, I'd say you were one of them new adventurers. Am I warm?

I knew it! Goin' where ever the wind blows, seekin' fortune and glory - now that's what I call livin'!

So long as you can avoid dyin', I mean. Ain't no secret that adventurin's a risky business - these days especially. 

What was it that first attracted you to it?

To win glory. (other options include to gain power, to amass a fortune and ...)

Brennan: Glory, eh? Well, if you're willin' to take on them tasks other folk ain't, an adventurer such as yourself can win fame what coin can't buy.

When you arrive in town, you'll wan't to report to the Adventurers' Guild.

You can find out everythin' you need to know about the adventurin' business in there.

Just remember, though: there're more important things than fortune an' glory. Such as breathin'. Ain't no profit in bein' dead, an' that's a fact.

Uwahh!

Stalwart Sailor: Ships of the starboard bow! Pirate colours!

Brennan: Pirates? Bloody hells...

Stalwart Sailor: Have ye no sense? Get below!

Brennan: What is the world comin' to...? Pirates firin' on a ship flyin' Lominsan colours! Bastards either have a boatload of balls, or bugger all for brains.

Stalwart Sailor: Ye can rest easy, friends! We've made it out o' cannon range, an' no buccaneer's bark'll catch this flighty temptress once the wind's in her sails.

Brennan: That was too bleedin' close... Glad one of us kept her head on her shoulders - I reckon I'd 've lost mine, otherwise.

If them pirates gave up the chase, we must be close to port. Let's head up on deck an' have us a look, shall we?

By the by, is this your first trip to Limsa Lominsa?

No. (can also say yes.)

Brennan: Thought not! Ah, but I'll wager there've been some changes since your last visit. Allow a journeyed itinerant to appraise you of the current state of affairs. Ahem!

Limsa Lominsa prides itself on bein' Eorzea's foremost naval power.

Weren't too long ago that the place was ruled by pirates, but thanks to the current Admiral's civilizin' influence, the city-state could almost pass for a respectable nation. You'd never guess she was once a rum-swillin' buccaneer herself! Heh heh!

'Course, most folk ain't so quick to change, an' with a town full of liberty-lovin' ruffians, you can imagine how many naysayers an' troublemakers she's got to deal with - like them pirates who took a fancy to us just now.

An' if that weren't bad enough, I've heard the Sahagin are raidin' the coast just as bold as you please. Them're the sea-dwellin' beastmen the locals call "fishbacks", 'case you didn't know.

Ah, at long last. Land ho!

Behold Limsa Lominsa, a nation blessed by the oceans bounty an' beloved of Llymlaen, goddess of navigation.

Narrator: On a windswept aisle in the southwestern border of the realm, amidst the roiling waves and rotund sea, lies the maritime city-state of Limsa Lominsa. To this haven for bandits and brigands, cut-throats and curs, seekers of freedom and fortune, comes a lone adventurer. Lone but not alone for the adventurers arrival had drawn the gaze of the nations patron deity Llymlaen. What real shaking fate has she descried in the churning waters of this mortals future?

Brennan: An' here's where we part ways, lass.

I'm off to the markets to deliver me wares, then it's on to the highroad for me. 

Here, I want you to have this - by way of thanks for savin' me arse earlier.

Hey - you never did tell me your name, did you? Well, here's an idea...

Become the sort of storied personage I can brag about havin' met, an I'll consider us square.

Narrator: Through peril and hardship, discovery and triumph, may the navigator guide this brave soul on her life's voyage. Till sea swallows all!

Yellowjacket Infantry Man: Hey! You there!

Aye! I mean you. This is my district, an' I make it my business to know all the scum that washes up in it.

Ah, an adventurer fresh of the boat, is it? Well then...

Allow one of Limsa Lominsa's finest to set you on the right path. Hop to it, lass, I haven't got all day.

First Actions

Now you have control set up your controls and change your settings to how you want them. For full details on how to do this check our HUB section. Also, remember that Brennan gave you a gift. It is a ring that you will want to equip as it boosts your stats and exp points. Then follow these steps to officially begin the game. 

1. Speak to Ryssfloh. He's the yellowjacket that greeted you off the boat. Coming to Limsa Lominsa.

Now then, I'm sure you're itching to explore, but adventurer's are required to register their presence in the city...and without a bit of local knowledge, you're like to get your throat slit in some piss-sticking alley. So before you do anything else get yourself over to the drowning wrench and enroll with the Adventurers' Guild. It's not far - Just head straight down this street and speak with Grehfarr. He'll show you how to work that big moving platform we call the Crow's Lift, and that'll take you up to the pub. Once you're there, look for a fellow by the name of Baderon - he's the proprietor of the Wrench. He might curse like an ale-sodden sailor, but the man's got a soft spot for wide-eyed newcomers like yourself. He'll set you straight. Got all that? Good. Now run along and may the Navigator guide you on your journey

2. Head up to the wrench following his instructions and speak with Baderon to finish the quest and start the next one.

Baderon: Greetin's to ye, lass.

What'll it be?... Ah, but you ain't 'ere fer the drink, are ye?! Ye've come with a mind to try yer 'and at 'venturin', I reckon! Well, Yr'll find no shortage o' work 'ere in Limsa.

The name's Baderon, an' this most 'ospitable of 'ostelries is the Drownin' Wrench.

'Tis also the 'ome o' the 'Venturers Guild, 'ere in Limsa. That's why we've got a desk 'specially fer 'andlin' Guild business - an' why I seem to spend more time savin' the necks o' whelps like yerself than wettin' the throats of me regulars.

'Venturer's 'ave a knack fer findin' trouble, see.

Not that they need it in these parts, On account o' there bein' trouble wherever ye look. If ye manage to stay clear o' the fishbacks an' the kobolds outside the city, the pirates on the inside will get ye instead.

An if they don't manage, there's always the Garlean Empire to finish the job. Oh, no one knows what they're plannin' O' course... but if they're plannin' anything, ye can be sure it's to kill the lot of us.

Aye... this town seems peaceful at a glance, but look again, an' ye'll see a people livin' in fear o' what tomorrow might bring.

An' who can blame 'em, after everythin' that's 'appened? Eorzea took a mighty blow durin' the calamity, but our 'omes weren't the only things that got wiped off the face of existence by that thrice-damned bastard of a dragon.

It took our bleedin' memories, too. An' no one's been able to explain it in a way as makes an onze o' sense.

None o' the folks what saw it an' lived to tell the tale seem to agree on 'ow the tale actually goes. 'Tis all foggy, like recollections from an 'ard night on the ale. Ye can imagine why people might fear fer the future if they can't rightly recall the past.

But there is one thing we all remember, an' that's the group o' 'venturers what laid down their lives to drag Eorzea back from the brink, when she was bound fer the abyss.

Well, I say we remember... Truth is, though we ain't forgotten what they did fer us, this godsdamned Calamity-spawned memory loss robbed us o' their names...

It won't even let us picture their damn faces. 'Tis like starin' at a gull flyin' in front o' the sun - all ye see in yer mind's eye is a shadow set against a blindin' glare. An that's 'ow every bugger describes it, by the way... give or take the odd gull.

It's this what's got people callin' these 'eroes the Warriors of Light.

If Limsa's ever goin to put this time o' darkness behind it, it's goin' to need 'venturers to 'elp banish the fear. It's goin' to need new 'eroes like the ones we lost.

Maybe one day ye'll be one of 'em. An' that's why any aid we can give to a 'venturer is effort well spent. What say ye, lass? Ye willin' to lend us yer strength?

Me thanks to ye, an' to the navigator an' all! I knew she'd steered ye my way fer a reason.

Ah, but listen to me yatterin on like a sun-touched fishwife. 'Tis 'igh time we got yer mark in me book. Put ye scrawl right there.

Melody Ozara is it? 'An a fine name it is.

Congratulations. Yer now an upstandin' member o' the 'Venturer's Guild.

Yellowjacket: You there - adventurer. You sailed in on the last ferry, did you not?

The captain reported being attacked by a pirate vessel. And several witnesses have testified independently that a passenger matching your description went out on deck mere moments before the incident took place. Sending your friends signals, were you? 

Baderon: Now 'old on just a moment there, officer. Ye've got the wrong lass.

This fine upstandin' young lady is me dear departed grandma's sister's niece's cousin's closest companion. The lass wouldn't be caught dead fraternizin' with such unsavoury elements.

Yellowjacket: ...Is that right? Ahem. You are surely aware of the recent kidnappings? Respectfully, then, we cannot be too trusting of outsiders at a time when the loyalty of even our closest friends is in doubt.

Baderon: Aye, ye make a good point there officer, a very good point. Very wise. Ye needn't worry, though, I keep one eye open at all times, me, an' two more often than not. Now, sir, what say ye to a tankard of me finest ale afore ye return to yer duties, eh?

Yellowjacket: Not a watered-down cup of piss like last time, I should hope?

Baderon: Ain't got the faintest idea what yer on about, officer. The wrench might offer some of the cheapest grog this side o' the Strait o' Merlthor, but that don't mean it won't get yer good an' pickled! An' look, there's a chair over there just cryin' out to be sat on, so kick off them 'eavy boots, eh!?

Ye'll 'ave to excuse these eager bloody yellowjackets. There's been a spate o' kidnappin's, see, an' they ain't got a clue who's behind 'em. Naturally, they've taken to clappin' irons on anyone who looks vaguely suspiciousm which means 'venturers, visitors, and pretty much every bugger else in this town.

Don't take it personal, though. Us Lominsans can be a 'eadstrong bunch o' bastards, 'tis true, but given time, we'll grow on ye. Now, where was I...?

Oh, aye! Welcome to Limsa Lominsa, where the sea's as green as the faces of me patrons after a few too many black belly whiskeys!

Now, take a moment to gather yer wits, an' we'll get started with learnin' ye the ways o' the city.

The Limsa Lominsa questline continues with MSQ 1. Close to Home - Limsa.

Click here to watch the Ul'dah MSQ with the Lord of Chaos

Ul'dah

Opening Cutscene.

Hear...Hear. Feal...Hear. Feel. Think.

Grizzled Passenger: ...Hey. Hey you. 

You all right, lad. 

You were moanin' somethin' fierce for a while there.

Feelin' the effects of the aether, I reckon. 

You'll get used to it, though, don't worry. 

Brass Blades Captain: You there - Halt!

Carriage Driver: What's all this about?

Brass Blades Captain: Inspection! Men, search the carriage!

Grizzled Passenger: I'm just an honest peddler, friend. So, er... don't be too disappointed if you don't find nothin', eh?

Brass Blade: Mind your tongue, old man, lest I cut it out!

Sir, look! Somnus!

Brass Blade Captain: Honest peddler, was it? Since when do honest peddlers deal in prohibited herbs?

You're in a lot of trouble, old man. You'll rot in a dungeon till the end of your days... unless you can afford the fine.

Grizzled Passenger: Heh, business as usual... 

Uwaah!

Brass Blade Runner: Amalj'aa! To arms! To arms!

Brass Blade Captain: Seven hells... Consider this a warning! Now go-all of you!

Grizzled Passenger: Phew. That kind of excitement ain't good for the heart!

You be careful 'round them Brass Blades, lad. Bastards'll have the shirt off your back if they fancy it. Like common bandits, they are, only less honest, 

Thank the gods for sendin' some beastmen to the rescue, eh?

Hey, seein as we've still got a long ride ahead, you mind keepin' me company till we arrive?

Them young'uns don't much care for conversation, see. 

Brendt's the name, an peddlin's me trade.

Brendt: An' judgin' by your unusual garments, I'll wager you're one of them new adventurers.

I knew it! Goin' wherever the wind blows, seekin' fortune an' glory - now that's what I call livn'!

So long as you can avoid dyin', I mean. Ain't no secret that adventurin's a risky business - these days especially.

What was it that first attracted you to it?

To gain power. (other options include to win glory, to amass a fortune and ...)

Brendt: ...Power? As in, er... power to do good? Like protectin' the weak, an' fightin' for what's right, an' all that? Aye, I thought that's what you meant. Well, adventurers do get up to a lot of fightin', that's for sure. You'll never be short of a chance to polish your warcraft in the adventurin' business.

When you arrive in town, you'd best enroll at the Adventurers' Guild - they'll set you on the right path.

An' it won't hurt to join a guild neither. 

Ul'dahs' home to a few, so of you fancy learnin' how to fight with a sword, your fists, or even spells, you should think about seekin' one out.

Just remember, though, there're more important things than fortune an' glory. Such as breathin'. Ain't no profit in bein' dead, an' that's a fact.

By the by, is this your first trip to Ul'dah?

Yes. (can also say no.)

Brendt: It is? Well then, let this journeyed itinerant tell you the inns and outs of your destination.

Uldah's ruled by the sultana in name, but as most folk know, the Syndicate holds all the real power.

Them and their Monetarist cronies would happily get rid of Her Grace altogether, but that won't happen while she still commands the loyalty of the Royalists - an' the Royalists are nothin' if not loyal.

These factions have long fought over power, throwin' the weight of their wealth against each other, an' they show no sign of stoppin'.

'Course the lizardmen - that's the Amalj'aa - couldn't care less about Ul'dahn politics. They have their own interests, see - an' they ain't afraid to use force to serve 'em.

They say war is a gift to peddlers - need breedin' profit - an' though it shames me to say it, I'm inclined to agree...

Ah. At long last!

Behold Ul'dah, jewel of Thanalan, where folk turn sand into gold!

Narrator: Deep in the sunbaked south, surronded by the shifting sands of an endless desert, she rises. A solitary rose amidst the dust and rock. A symbol of defiance. Her name: Ul'dah. Even with the coming of the seventh umbral era, hope springs eteranl for the mongers and merchants who vie for lost fortunes in this bustling oasis. As the twin faces of Nald'thal maintain their vigil over all that has been and shall be, the present proffers a brave soul. One whose arrival could mark the begining of a new era of prosperity for the realm. 

Brendt: An' here's where we part ways, lad.

I'm off to the markets to deliver me wares, then it's on to the highroad for me. 

Here, I want you to have this - by way of thanks for puttin' up with me prattle.

You never did tell me your name, though. Hey, but here's an idea...

Become the sort of storied personage I can brag about havin' met, an' I'll consider us square.

Narrator: May the traders nurture our fortunes as they kindle the flames which burn within us all. For by fire are we reborn.

Wymond: Oi, venturer! Over here! Aye! I mean you.

Fresh off the carriage, by any chance? Eh? How can I tell? Heh!

Name's Wymond, an' my business is knowin' every bugger else's!

Now then, what if I was to offer you some invaluable advice by way of welcome to our fair city? Free of charge, even - just this once, like. 

First Actions

Now you have control set up your controls and change your settings to how you want them. For full details on how to do this check our HUB section. Also, remember that Brendt gave you a gift. It is a ring that you will want to equip as it boosts your stats and exp points. Then follow these steps to officially begin the game. 

1. Speak to Wymond. He's the man with smart glasses that greeted you as you stepped through the gate. Coming to Ul'dah.

Wymond: 'Tis plain to anyone with eyes that you don't know your way around here.

If I let you go wonderin' off down the nearest dark alley. You're certain to get mugged or worse, an' I don't want that on my conscience. 

So, before you do anythin' else, you'll want to head over to the Quicksand, an speak with Momodi. She's the master of the Adventurers' Guild, an' can set you on the right path.

Just take those steps over yonder an' pass through the double doors. You'll find her inside. 

...An' that's as much as you're gettin' for free. Good luck with the adventurin' adventurer.