Game Tips - Final Fantasy XIV: A Realm Reborn

Game Tips for Final Fantasy XIV: A Realm Reborn

This guide collects essential tips organized by skill level and activity. Whether you are a sprout (new player) or a seasoned raider, these strategies will help you navigate Eorzea more effectively.

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Beginner Tips

#### 1. Follow the Main Scenario Quest (MSQ) Relentlessly

What: The MSQ (meteor icon) is the backbone of FFXIV. It unlocks nearly everything: new zones, dungeons, trials, flying mounts, and even the ability to buy a house.

Why: Most content is gated behind MSQ progression. If you ignore it, you will be locked out of activities and gear upgrades. Always keep your current MSQ level close to your character level.

When: From level 1 to 90, make it your top priority. Only branch out for a gear upgrade or to unlock a necessary feature (like your job stone).

What: After reaching level 30 on your starter class (e.g., Gladiator), complete the job quest in your capital city to obtain a Job Stone (e.g., Paladin). The stone dramatically expands your abilities.

Why: Without a job stone, you are missing half your toolkit. Players will notice and may exclude you from dungeons. The stone also boosts stats and unlocks role-specific actions.

When: As soon as you reach level 30 and complete the required class quests. Never unequip it.

What: Every ability has a precise effect, cast time, and cooldown. Use the game's in‑depth tooltips (hold Shift or hover). For practice, try a simple opener plug‑in or the striking dummy in any major city.

Why: Button mashing leads to low DPS, wasted buffs, and aggro issues. Understanding your rotation (e.g., a 1‑2‑3 combo for tanks) raises your personal performance significantly.

When: Before running any dungeon past Sastasha, spend 5 minutes reading your job guide (in‑game or on official forums) and hitting a dummy.

What: Starting at level 1, your class has quests every 5 levels. After job stone, the same pattern continues (e.g., level 30, 35, 40...).

Why: These quests award new abilities, gear, and gil. Missing them means you lack core skills (like a tank's defensive cooldown). They also unlock entire jobs (e.g., Paladin, White Mage).

When: Every time you level up to a multiple of 5, stop what you're doing and complete the quest.

What: FFXIV allows you to run story dungeons with NPCs (called Trusts or Duty Support) instead of real players. This is available for all A Realm Reborn dungeons through Heavensward.

Why: You can learn mechanics at your own pace without pressure. It also gives you gear that matches the dungeon's level.

When: Always for your first run of a dungeon. It’s a stress‑free way to learn. Later, you can speedrun with players for faster experience.

Combat Tips

What: Many melee attacks deal more damage when hitting from the flank (side) or rear (back). For example, a Dragoon’s “Chaos Thrust” must hit the rear to apply a damage‑over‑time (DoT).

Why: Missing positionals lowers your DPS by 10‑20%. Some abilities simply do not work if you are facing the wrong direction.

When: Always behind the boss for rear attacks; flank for side attacks. Use the boss’s targeting circle as a guide. Move with the boss to stay in position.

What: Many enemies have telegraphed casts (orange bar above the enemy’s HP). Tanks and melee DPS have stuns; ranged and casters have interrupts (e.g., “Interject” for tanks, “Head Graze” for physical ranged).

Why: Interrupting a boss’s powerful AoE or heal can wipe a group or cause a tankbuster. It’s a critical skill that separates average players from good ones.

When: Keep an eye on the cast bar. If you see a scary cast name (like “Sinister Tide” in Sirensong Sea), use your stun or silence immediately.

What: The Limit Break (LB) gauge fills as the party deals and receives damage. It has three bars. Melee LB1 is a single‑target hit; caster LB1 is an AoE; healer LB1 is a full party heal plus revive.

Why: Using LB at the wrong time wastes its potential. For example, a melee LB3 can skip a boss phase, but using it on a trash pack is wasteful.

When: Save LB for dungeon bosses (melee LB3 if you have it) or for emergency healer LB2/3 when multiple players are down. In trials/raids, follow the leader call.

What: Every job has an AoE rotation (e.g., Arcanist: “Outburst”; Black Mage: “Freeze”). Use it when 3+ enemies are grouped.

Why: Single‑target on packs is extremely inefficient. AoE multiplies your damage per second (DPS) and speeds up dungeons.

When: In any dungeon or open‑world pull with 3 or more mobs. Tanks should gather enemies first, then DPS go ham with AoE.

What: FFXIV combat has a 2.5‑second global cooldown (GCD). You can fit one or two off‑GCD abilities between GCD skills. This is called weaving.

Why: Weaving abilities like “Bloodbath” or “Feint” without clipping (delaying your next GCD) maximizes your damage output and resource usage.

When: Start with simple weaving: after a GCD, press one oGCD immediately. As you get comfortable, add a second oGCD if you have a fast connection. Use the training dummy to practice.

Exploration Tips

What: Aetherytes are the fast‑travel points (teleportation crystals) scattered across zones. Every zone has one main aetheryte and several smaller ones.

Why: Quickly moving around Eorzea saves hours of travel. You can teleport for a small gil fee (very cheap). Unlocking an aetheryte also marks its location on your map.

When: Upon entering a new zone, immediately head to the nearest aetheryte. Use the “Teleport” action from your menu or the map to attune.

What: Return sends you to your home point (usually a main city’s aetheryte). Teleport opens a list of all unlocked aetherytes with gil cost.

Why: Set a home point near your current hub (e.g., Limsa Lominsa if you do a lot of fishing). Teleport costs scale with distance; you can reduce costs by using “Aetheryte Tickets” from Grand Company seals or by completing sightseeing logs.

When: Use Return when you need to get back to a major city quickly. Teleport for short hops. Avoid teleporting to faraway zones repeatedly; use Chocobo Porter or the airship for scenic routes.

What: The map (M key) shows your position, nearby quest markers, and points of interest. You can right‑click a quest icon to set it as a destination, which draws a line on your minimap.

Why: You never get lost. The destination line guides you along roads and through zones, even in complex areas like Coerthas.

When: Always keep your destination active for the current MSQ or side quest. Change it when you pick up a new quest.

What: You get your first mount (a chocobo) after completing the level 20 MSQ “My Little Chocobo.” Flying is unlocked for each zone after completing the entire ARR main scenario and purchasing “Aether Compass” item (sold by vendor in Revenant’s Toll).

Why: Mounts drastically reduce travel time, and flying allows you to bypass obstacles. Flying also reveals aether currents (needed to fly) on your map.

When: Do the level 20 quest immediately. For ARR zones, you need to collect 5 aether currents per zone (visible on map after completing MSQ). Do not leave a zone before collecting all currents.

What: The Hunting Log (for your class) provides bonus XP for killing specific enemies. The Sightseeing Log gives EXP and achievements for visiting scenic spots at specific times/weather.

Why: Both are excellent sources of passive XP while you explore. Sightseeing also unlocks a nifty “view” cutscene and a title.

When: Open your Hunting Log from the main menu (H key) and kill those monsters while questing. For Sightseeing, check the time and weather requirements before traveling.

Resource Management Tips

What: The Armoire (in inn rooms or housing) stores seasonal gear and rare items; the Saddlebag (Summoning Bell) holds up to 70 items and is shared across all characters on your account.

Why: You have limited inventory slots (default 100). Overfilling causes you to discard valuable drops. Use the Armoire for glamour pieces and untradable gear. The Saddlebag is ideal for crafting materials or dungeon gear you want to trade later.

When: Every time you return to a city, sort your inventory. Put craftable materials in the Saddlebag, and any gear you want to keep but not use into the Armoire.

What: The Market Board is the player auction house. NPC vendors pay pennies for gear you find. Players will pay much more for gear that is part of a glamour set or for leveling alt jobs.

Why: A single piece of level 50 gear can sell for 5,000-20,000 gil on the market board, compared to 100 gil from a vendor. Over a playthrough, the difference amounts to tens of thousands of gil.

When: Check the Market Board price first, then decide. Use the “Search” feature (Ctrl+U) to see last sales. If the piece is low‑level and unsellable, you can still turn it into Grand Company seals (see below).

What: Once you join a Grand Company (level 20 MSQ), you can “Turn in” gear for company seals. The gear must be “green” (uncommon) or “blue” (rare) quality, or item level above a threshold.

Why: Seals can buy mounts (chocobo barding), aetheryte tickets, housing items, and valuable materials like “Grade 1 Dark Matter” for relic weapons. It’s far better than deleting gear.

When: After level 20, regularly turn in any gear you outlevel or get duplicates of. Keep one set of your current gear.

What: Retainers are NPC assistants you can hire at any city. They hold up to 175 items each and can be assigned to sell items on the Market Board while you are offline.

Why: You get 2 free retainers (more for a fee). They effectively double your inventory space. They also can gather specific items for you (if you assign them a DoL job).

When: Hire a retainer as soon as you reach level 20 (quest “The Rising Tide of Goosebumps”). Assign one to sell items you don’t need immediately. Use the other for storage.

What: Teleport tickets (bought from Grand Company vendors for 1,000 seals each) let you teleport for free. Sniper’s Eyes are a consumable that increases your critical hit rate for 15 minutes.

Why: Free teleports save thousands of gil over time. Sniper’s Eyes boost your damage slightly, useful for difficult solo content or dungeons.

When: Buy a stack of teleport tickets when you have excess GC seals. Use Sniper’s Eyes before boss fights if you are a physical DPS (or the caster equivalent, “Intellect Potion”).

Character Builds and Gearing Tips

What: Each piece of gear has an item level (iLvl), which is more important than the required character level. A iLvl 130 piece for level 50 beats a iLvl 120 piece for level 55.

Why: Stats scale with iLvl. Higher iLvl = more damage, HP, and heals. Always equip the highest iLvl gear you can, even if it is from an earlier expansion.

When: At endgame or at each expansion cap (50, 60, 70, 80, 90), go for the highest iLvl gear available. Use the “Best in Slot” (BiS) lists from community resources (e.g., The Balance Discord).

What: Main stats are Strength (tank/melee DPS), Dexterity (ranged DPS), Intelligence (caster DPS), Mind (healer), Vitality (tank). Secondary stats are Critical Hit, Direct Hit, Determination, Skill Speed, Spell Speed, Tenacity, Piety.

Why: Main stats give a flat damage/healing multiplier. Secondary stats are secondary: they scale your damage by small percentages. In general, 1 main stat ≈ 2-3 secondary stat points in value.

When: When choosing between two gear pieces of similar iLvl, pick the one with higher main stat. For melding (adding materia), follow a guide for your job.

What: Skill Speed (melee) reduces GCD, but too much causes you to run out of TP (or MP for casters) and makes your rotation difficult to execute. Similarly, fast spells can cause mana issues.

Why: The game’s global cooldown cap is 2.0 seconds at 0 skill speed. Going below that requires heavy melding, which often hurts other stats. For most jobs, a moderate amount is best.

When: Aim for a skill speed that allows you to weave two oGCDs without clipping. For casters, stop adding Spell Speed once you reach a comfortable cast time (e.g., 2.2‑2.3 seconds for Black Mage).

What: You can save your equipment as a set (e.g., “Tank Gear Set 1”). Press Ctrl+I to open the Gear Set list. One click equips all items from that set.

Why: Switching jobs without re‑equipping manually saves time and avoids errors. You can also link a gear set to a hotbar macro.

When: Create a gear set for each job you play. Update it whenever you get a new piece of gear. Use the “Update Gear Set” button (right‑click) to avoid carrying wrong items.

What: Some actions are shared across roles (e.g., “Feint” for melee DPS, “Swiftcast” for casters). Leveling a Lancer gives you “Feint” for all melee DPS jobs. Leveling Thaumaturge gives “Swiftcast” for all casters.

Why: These actions are incredibly useful. Swiftcast lets you cast resurrection or a long spell instantly. Feint reduces a target’s damage for 10 seconds.

When: After you finish the MSQ on your main job, pick up a secondary job in the same role family to unlock those actions. Aim for at least level 15 for each role’s shared action.

Economy Tips

What: You can learn all DoH/DoL jobs from level 1 in the starting cities. Crafting your own gear saves gil and can be a major income source.

Why: Repair costs at NPCs are expensive. With high enough Crafting level (like Carpenter or Armorer), you can repair your gear for a fraction of the cost and even over‑repair for a durability bonus.

When: Level at least two crafting jobs (one for weapons, one for armor) to 30. This allows you to repair all your gear while adventuring. Also level Botany or Mining to gather your own materials.

What: Monitor the Market Board for items that are underpriced. Buy them, then relist at a higher price. This is a classic “merchant” strategy.

Why: The market fluctuates based on patch cycles, new recipes, and player demand. With a retainer, you can list items for up to 20 slots. Over time, you can make millions.

When: Focus on consumables (potions, food) and glamour prisms. During new patches, raw materials (e.g., Dark Matter) spike. Use “Universalis” website to check prices across servers.

What: Beast Tribe quests become available after certain MSQ steps. They reward reputation (which unlocks barding, mounts, emotes) and a currency called “Bicolour Gemstones” (in Stormblood+) or “Gil” and “Allagan Tomestones.”

Why: Reputation items are often exclusive and can be sold for high prices later. The daily quests also give sizable experience for alt jobs.

When: Once you unlock a Beast Tribe (e.g., Amalj’aa at level 24), do the daily quests every day. Aim to max reputation on at least three tribes for the special rewards.

What: Houses (personal or FC) cost millions of gil. Glamour prisms (for dyeing and glamour) also add up. The best use of your gil is long‑term investments.

Why: Early gil is better spent on leveling gear and teleports than on vanity items. Wait until you have a steady income stream.

When: Keep a minimum of 100,000 gil emergency fund. After that, start saving for your first house (requires a ward and buyer patience). Do not waste gil on overpriced minions or mounts that you can get from quests.

What: Levequests are repeatable quests found at Levemete NPCs. They reward gil, experience, and sometimes items. You get 6 allowances every 12 hours (max 100).

Why: Battlecraft leves give good gil for killing a few monsters. Tradecraft leves (for crafters) reward massive crafting XP and some gil. Gathering leves yield raw materials you can sell.

When: Use allowances on level‑appropriate leves when you need quick cash. For crafting, use high‑quality items to double rewards.

Advanced Optimizations

What: Third‑party add‑ons like ACT (Advanced Combat Tracker) parse in‑game damage. While Square Enix does not endorse them, many serious raiders use them to self‑improve.

Why: You can see your DPS, uptime, and rotation mistakes. Comparing logs with top players helps you identify weak points.

When: Only in private settings; never post parse screenshots in chat (it breaks ToS). Use it to benchmark your performance after learning a new job.

What: Arrange your hotbars so that your most used abilities are on keys 1‑6 (or Q, E, R, F, C). Use modifiers (Shift, Ctrl, Alt) to expand your keybinds.

Why: Fast reaction times are essential in endgame content. Clicking abilities with your mouse slows you down. Custom UI also hides unnecessary elements.

When: During your first week, set up your hotbars. Keep important cooldowns and buffs on a prominent bar. Disable the default keybinds you never use (like /lfg).

What: In FFXIV, you can move during the last 0.5 seconds of a cast without canceling it. This is called slidecasting. It allows you to dodge AoEs while still dealing damage.

Why: Movement is the biggest DPS loss for casters (especially Black Mage). Slidecasting turns a movement phase into a zero‑loss opportunity.

When: Practice on a dummy. Start moving right after the cast bar hits 80% completion. With good latency, you can slide almost the entire cast.

What: Tanks have powerful invulnerability skills: Hallowed Ground (Paladin, 10‑second invincibility), Holmgang (Warrior, reduced to 1 HP but invincible 6 seconds), etc.

Why: Using these at the right time can trivialize otherwise lethal tankbusters. For example, a Warrior can pop Holmgang right before a huge hit, negating the damage completely.

When: Learn boss timings. In savage raids, use invuln for the first tankbuster if healers are busy. Coordinate with your co‑tank so you don’t overlap.

What: Ninja’s Trick Attack is a 15‑second damage vulnerability debuff on the enemy. It increases all damage taken by 5% during that window.

Why: This is a huge raid DPS cooldown that should be used every 60 seconds on cooldown. Aligning your party’s burst windows with Trick Attack is essential for optimal damage.

When: As a Ninja, use Trick Attack off cooldown, but make sure your party is ready (e.g., during a potion window or after a raid buff). As a non‑Ninja, save your big damaging abilities for the Trick Attack window.

What: Melding is adding materia to gear. Each piece has 2‑5 materia slots (overmelding on crafted gear). You can use cheap materia for the first slot and expensive high‑grade materia for later slots.

Why: Overmelding (especially on crafted gear) requires a special “Advanced Melding Forbidden” skill. It has low success rates (e.g., 20%). Using cheaper materia for high‑risk slots saves money.

When: For BiS gear, follow a melding guide. For leveling gear, use only reasonable materia (like grade 6 or 7) on the first slot.

Miscellaneous Pro Tips

What: Macros are sequences of commands. You can create a macro that says “Casting raise on <t>” and then casts the spell. Also useful for crafting multi‑step recipes.

Why: Saves button presses and reduces errors in crafting rotations. For combat, macros can automate a simple opener or announce important cooldowns.

When: Make a macro for raising (healer) so you can call out your target. For crafters, use a macro to execute a finicky rotation like “Flawless Synthesis” + “Ingenuity II.”

What: Free Companies (FCs) provide a 10% XP bonus (cumulative with rested XP), access to FC buffs (like “The Heat of Battle” for +15% battle XP), and a social network.

Why: The XP buffs significantly speed up leveling alt jobs. Also, FC housing has vendors and a workshop for airships and submarines.

When: Look for an FC that advertises as beginner‑friendly. Avoid those that demand weekly donations or require a certain playtime. Join after you reach level 15.

What: Side quests (yellow markers) give tiny XP and gil. Blue markers (+ icon) unlock new features, dungeons, or jobs.

Why: Yellow side quests are not efficient for leveling; you outlevel zones quickly. Blue quests are essential because they expand your gameplay (e.g., unlocking the Manderville Gold Saucer, Chocobo racing, or the Gold Saucer itself).

When: Always pick up any blue quest you see. Ignore yellow ones unless you want the story or they are directly on your path.

What: The Gold Saucer is a casino/mini‑game hub accessed via a quest at level 15. It contains Triple Triad, Chocobo Racing, Lord of Verminion (Pokémon‑style mini‑game), and many more.

Why: It’s a fun break from the grind. You can earn MGP (currency) to buy exclusive mounts (like the Magitek Armor), emotes, and minions. Also, some achievements require Gold Saucer activities.

When: Visit the Gold Saucer once you have the quest. Daily and weekly mini‑game challenges give huge MGP. Spend your time there when you need a break from combat.

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Table: Quick Reference for Key Unlocks (A Realm Reborn)

Level	Unlock	How to Get	Why Important
1	Chocobo Porter	After starting MSQ, speak to an NPC in any major city.	Fast travel between aetherytes.
8	The Gold Saucer	Complete the quest “It Could Happen to You” in Ul’dah.	Mini‑games, mounts, glamour.
15	Duty Finder	Complete the quest “Call of the Sea” in your starting city.	Queue for dungeons.
20	Grand Company	Complete the MSQ “The Company You Keep.”	Seals, gear, housing.
30	Job Stone	Class quest at level 30.	Advanced abilities.
35	Chocobo Companion	Complete the quest “My Little Chocobo.”	Mount + combat pet.
44	Aether Currents (ARR)	After MSQ completion, head to specific zone locations (yellow dots).	Flying in ARR zones.
50	Allagan Tomestones	Earn from daily roulettes.	Endgame gear.

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Final Words

FFXIV: A Realm Reborn rewards patience and curiosity. The game’s community is generally helpful; do not hesitate to ask for advice in the Novice Network (chat channel) or in your FC. Use the tips above to minimize frustration and maximize enjoyment. Remember: the journey is as important as the destination. Good luck, Warrior of Light!