Final Fantasy XIV: A Realm Reborn Important Notes guide screenshot

Important Notes

Important Notes for Final Fantasy XIV: A Realm Reborn



This section collects critical warnings, irreversible decisions, missable opportunities, common pitfalls, and etiquette rules that every new player should know. Understanding these will save you time, frustration, and money.

Irreversible & Costly Choices



  • Race & Gender: Your character’s race and gender cannot be changed for free after creation. A Fantasia potion (bought from the Mog Station or Market Board) is required. Choose carefully if appearances matter to you.

  • Name & Server Transfer: Renaming your character costs real money via the Mog Station. Server transfers also cost real money and can be restricted during congested periods. Pick a server that fits your region and community preferences.

  • Grand Company Choice: Early in the MSQ (around level 20) you join one of three Grand Companies: Maelstrom (Limsa Lominsa), Immortal Flames (Ul’dah), or Order of the Twin Adder (Gridania). You can switch later for a small gil fee, but it’s a minor inconvenience. Choose based on the city you like most or the company’s PvP uniform – your choice does not affect power.

  • Free Company (FC) – Guild: Joining an FC is optional but you can only be in one at a time. Leaving an FC does not cost anything, but if you helped build its house or airship, you lose personal contributions. Always check an FC’s rules before joining.

  • Story & Level Skips: The game sells optional Story Skip and Level Boost potions on the Mog Station. Using them permanently removes access to the original questline on that character. You cannot replay that story on the same character. Only use these on alts if you want to skip the massive MSQ.


    • Missable & One-Time Content



  • Seasonal Events: Most holiday events (The Rising, Starlight Celebration, etc.) are year-round. However, some one-time rewards (mounts, emotes, gear) from past events are forever unobtainable. Check the official website during special events.

  • Collaboration Quests: Limited-time collaborations with other games (e.g., Final Fantasy XV, Yo-kai Watch) return occasionally on a schedule, but do not expect them to be always available. Participate when you see them.

  • The Original ARR Relic Weapon (Zodiac/Zeta): This long quest chain is still available, but it requires significant farming. It is not missable, but if you delay too long, you may find it tedious compared to later expansions' relics. Do it if you want the glamour, not for power.

  • The Binding Coil of Bahamut (Coils of Bahamut): This is a level 50 raid that tells a crucial story arc. While the instance itself is always available, finding a group synced (level 50, no echo) can be hard. Most players run it unsynced at level 80+ for the story. There is a small cutscene in the final turn that can be missed if you skip cutscenes – but you can rewatch everything in the Unending Journey in any inn room.

  • The Beginning of the End (Level 50 MSQ): After completing the 2.0 MSQ, a series of post-launch quests (patch 2.1–2.55) lead into Heavensward. Some of these contain pivotal story events. They are always available, but if you use a Story Skip for Heavensward, you permanently lose the ability to do them on that character. Do not skip unless you are willing to watch the story online.


    • Difficulty Spikes & Grinding Traps



  • Leveling Speed: The Main Scenario Quest is the fastest way to level your first class/job. Do not grind FATEs or dungeons repeatedly early on – you will overlevel the MSQ and still be forced to complete it for progression. The experience from MSQ is more than enough.

  • The Level 50 Gear Wall: Upon reaching level 50, the game expects you to have item level (iLvl) around 90 (from the last few dungeons) to start the post-50 quests. If you skipped dungeon gear, you may need to buy cheap gear from the Market Board or run the Aurum Vale dungeon a few times. This is a small hump.

  • The “Blacklist” Bosses: Certain story bosses are notorious for catching new players off guard:

    • - Titan (Hard – The Navel): Requires you to dodge falling rocks while fighting. The arena has insta-kill edges. Use the Sprint button frequently.
    - Leviathan (The Whorleater): The platform tilts; stay near the center to avoid being knocked off.
    - Steps of Faith (Vishap): This is a gauntlet with adds that must be interrupted. Failure can lead to a wipe. Use the cannons and snares strategically.
  • The Steps of Faith (Vishap) – Patch 2.55: This duty is infamous for being very difficult undergeared. Ask for help in Novice Network or Party Finder. You can also watch a guide video.

  • Heavensward Gearing: If you buy the Shadowbringers or Endwalker expansions, you will receive a level boost item. Do not use it on your first character – you will skip the entire Heavensward and Stormblood story. The boost also leaves you with unknown skills. If you want to level an alt, use it then.


    • Online Etiquette & Anti-Cheat



  • Dungeon Etiquette:

    • - Greet the party when you join. A simple “Hello” sets a positive tone.
    - Let the tank pull – do not run ahead and aggro monsters.
    - Watch for first-timers – if someone is new, the party usually waits for cutscenes. Do not rush them.
    - Use Limit Break appropriately: Melee DPS for single-target burst, ranged DPS for AoE packs, tank for mitigation, healer for resurrection if multiple players are down.
  • Party Finder vs Duty Finder: For high-end duties (Extreme trials, Savage raids), always use Party Finder and set appropriate expectations (e.g., “Practice”, “Clear”). Duty Finder is for casual content; you may get grouped with undergeared or inexperienced players for extremes, leading to frustration.

  • The Novice Network: As a new player with a sprout icon, you can join the Novice Network chat channel. Keep conversations respectful and ask for help. Mentors are there to assist, but they are not your personal taxi. Do not spam.

  • Anti-Cheat & Third-Party Tools: Square Enix uses a proprietary anti-cheat system that monitors for memory modifications. Third-party add-ons (e.g., ACT for damage meters, XIVLauncher) are officially prohibited, though ACT is widely tolerated if you do not harass others with your parse. Using plugins that automate gameplay (bots) or that give an unfair advantage (teleporting, speed hacks) will result in a permanent ban. Do not risk your account.

  • Harassment & Reporting: The game has a built-in Blacklist and Report function. Use it for abusive language, griefing, or scamming. Square Enix takes harassment seriously; you can open a ticket on the support site.


    • Save Management – Account & Character Care



  • No Local Saves: All your progress (quests, levels, gear, currency) is stored on Square Enix servers. You cannot back up or restore your character. The only thing you can save locally are UI layouts (export via the Character Config menu), gear sets (export individually), and keybinds (export from System Config).

  • Two-Factor Authentication (2FA): Strongly recommended. The physical or digital token adds security. If you lose your phone without saving the backup codes, you may lose account access permanently. Save the emergency removal password in a safe place.

  • Free Trial Limitations: If you play on the Free Trial, you are capped at level 60 and cannot use the Market Board, trade, or form parties. You can still do all content up to Heavensward. Do not buy the game until you are sure you want to commit, because once you purchase a license, your trial benefits end.

  • Subscriptions: The game requires a monthly subscription after the 30-day free period (for purchased accounts). You can pay via credit card, Crysta, or game time cards. If you let your sub lapse, your character is preserved indefinitely, but you cannot log in. There is no character deletion due to inactivity.


    • Things Players Regret Not Knowing Earlier



  • You can play every class on one character. Do not create alts to try different jobs. Simply visit the guild in the appropriate city and unlock it (after level 10 on your first job). Your main character can master all combat and gathering/crafting classes.

  • The Hall of the Novice (level 15) teaches you basic mechanics and gives a Brand-new Ring (+30% XP for levels under 30). Do this before your first dungeon.

  • Unlocking the Challenge Log (level 15, in Limsa Lominsa) rewards massive XP every week for simple tasks like completing dungeons, FATEs, and levequests. Always do this early.

  • Daily Roulettes (level 16+) provide a huge XP bonus for doing one random dungeon/raid per day. Queue for them to level alt jobs quickly.

  • Flying in ARR zones is only possible after you complete the main story for each area. You cannot fly in any zone until you finish that zone’s questline. Do not try to explore flying mounts before then – they won’t work.

  • The Market Board is region-wide (same data center, not world). You can buy and sell to other worlds on your Data Center, making the economy stable. Always check prices across multiple sellers.

  • Glamour (transmog) is from the first expansion. You can unlock the Glamour system at level 50 after completing a short quest in Vesper Bay. Until then, your gear will look mismatched – be patient.

  • Retainers (personal bank NPCs) cost a real-money fee for extra retainers beyond the first two. You start with two free; you can hire up to 7 more for a monthly fee. Use them wisely – store materials, sell items on Market Board, or assign them to ventures.

  • Do not rush to the end. The vast majority of the game’s content is in the story. Skipping dialogue, cutscenes, and quests robs you of the emotional payoff. Take your time.


This note list is not exhaustive, but covers the most critical pitfalls. If you keep these in mind, your journey through Eorzea will be smoother and more enjoyable.