1.4 Starting Areas:

Note: You get a slight bonus for starting at the home for your race, but maybe you want some cooler scenery....

Bastok- This place is all about machines and mining. It's also the home of the Humes and the Galka. Most of the area around this place is wasteland with a few hills. It's also home to the Alchemy, Blacksmith and Goldsmith guilds.

San d'Oria- This castle-like town is home to the Elvaans. It's basically all medieval/renaissance but many of the NPCs can be big snobs. The notable craft guild that are located here are the Tanning and Woodworking guilds. The surrounding area is some rather pretty forest.

Windhurst- Probably the prettiest town but sometimes getting around can be confusing. This place is home to the TaruTarus and the Mithra. It's a place very steeped in magic and the guilds here are Cooking, Boneworking, and Clothcraft. The surrounding area is pretty fields and mountains.

1.5 Linkshells:

I thought I should add this here as sometime during play you will probably be asked if you want to join one. This is basically a chat group, and the members of this can hear you anywhere in the current world you're playing in when you chat on it. Joining one of these is a good way to get help or find party members. You can also set up your own Linkshell if you have a couple thousand gill to pay to certain NPCs.

Part 2: Crafts and making FFXI Gil-

Every newbie asks, "How do I make FFXI Gil?"; well you're in luck because I'm gonna give you some hints. Whether or not you've played an MMORPG before you should know that one way to make money is just to sell many of the items that the monsters drop and this does work but it's only short term. To get rich in the big game you're gonna have to use what you just found in crafts and/or do hundreds of quests and this can take a while. Crafts work by using crystals which monsters will drop if you have signet cast on you. You can get signet cast on you by any gate guard, but I'll go more into it when I summarize the conquest. I'm gonna have a summary of the basic crafts here, but if you want formulas you need to check another FAQ. Things that are made can be sold at the auction house or by using the Bazaar system.

2.1 Signet:

This is a spell that allows you to get Crystals and earn conquest points. You can use these conquest points for cool items down the line or just sell them. The more points gotten by a nation in a particular area the more likely that nation will own it. Rank is important as the number one ranked nation will have access to the best items. Any of the guards with initials next to their name (I.M., ETC.) can cast Signet one you and if you are visiting another nation you can visit consulate of you nation to have it recast as well. Please try to keep it on at all times!