The prospect of playing a massively multiplayer online role-playing game can be daunting, especially one that launched on PlayStation 2 six months ago like Final Fantasy XI. So is it possible to join the game now after thousands of players have already spent the better portion of ’04 getting to the upper stratosphere of the level cap? Most definitely.

Dipping your feet in

Newcomers to FFXI should understand a few things. First, everyone already playing the game got all of their equipment and spells the hard way—they earned them. Don’t begin as a level 1 warrior and immediately stand around town begging for money or help. In fact, expect your character’s first 20 levels to be somewhat tedious. There’s a reason for this, though—it’s to introduce you to things like soloing, partying, performing weapon skillchains, and growing comfortable with the menu system. So the sooner you come to grips that there’s no quick rise to the top, the sooner you’ll enjoy the process.

Getting up to speed

At level 18, you can activate the quest to acquire a subjob, which, depending on how you mix and match, can double your skills, abilities, and powers. Once your character reaches that point, beef up a subjob immediately, as many dedicated FFXI parties will only consider new members with a fully developed subjob. Level 20 is when you’ll be strong enough to start making your way to Jeuno, the central city that binds all three starting nations. It is also the place where you can earn your chocobo license, which enables you to ride those giant yellow birds safely between nations and unlock all-new quests and leveling opportunities. By the time you hit level 30, you can go on missions to gain exotic advanced jobs such as samurai, ninja, summoner, ranger, dragoon, and bard.

The prognosis Don’t be intimidated by all the advanced players. There’s always a fresh batch of people joining every day, and you’ll continually find FFXI vets willing to tag along with your wet-behind-the-ears character as they build up an additional subjob. And who knows, the next person you meet could be your future spouse (FFXI features virtual marriages).

The Not-So-Old Ball and Chain

New adventures await Final Fantasy XI players at the end of September with the release of the Chains of Promathia expansion pack. This one will feature three huge environments and over 40 subregions to explore, and although the Chains development team remains mum on full details, new summons and job classes are also expected.

Copyright © 2004 Ziff Davis Media Inc. All Rights Reserved. Originally appearing in Electronic Gaming Monthly.