First things first, you need to create a character to explore Eorzea. The character creation process of FFXIV is fairly straightforward, but much more customizable than the characters of FFXI. There are many more options for hairstyles and colors, face shapes, features, and skin color. You even get to choose a birthday!
With FFXIV's newfound emphasis on personalization, you can't really go wrong with making your character the way YOU want to. While there are some advantages to choosing your race and starting city to benefit your overall discipline goal, they are very minor and can easily be adjusted after a bit of gameplay. The following guide will offer suggestions for those who wish to make an informed decision about their character creation choices, but they are simply suggestions.
Race, Clan, and Starting Stats
There are 5 races in FFXIV, each with 2 clans to choose from. Each clan has different starting attributes, but can be adjusted as you level up. For the sake of tradition, the following list will include the type of discipline each clan seems most suited for according to their starting stats. For pure traditionalists, the area of influence for each clan (as determined from in-game dialogue) is being included.
Most of the appearance options are very straightforward. The first option, Type, is simply a choice between 4 randomized character models to help you determine what kind of overall look you hope to achieve. It is then possible to customize many aspects of your appearance based on the race and clan you chose earlier. There are a few hidden camera controls in character creation mode that may prove useful as you decide how you want your character to look. Pressing J and L will pan around the character, while I and K will zoom in and out.
When you are choosing a voice, make sure to have the volume set to a level that allows you to actually hear the examples. Your character will not actually speak in the game, but he/she will have several emotes that include sound effects (such as laughing). You won't be able to hear most of them until you actually play the game, but you can at least make sure that the example suits the kind of character you want to create.
It is also important to note that the Hair and Face options have their own menus. Make sure to press 'Accept' after you make your selections or your character will go back to the default type you selected. Also, choosing a face type will change more than just the facial structure of your character. It also changes the choices you will have in the Characteristics menu.
Discipline and Class
The job classes of FFXIV are divided into 4 disciplines. The choice you make here will determine your starting equipment and your first guildleve. Your starting class is not permanent and can be changed later in the game by simply changing your equipped weapon or tool. However, you will need to complete a few quests using your starting class in order to earn enough gil to buy another weapon. These quests are completable with any class, but if fighting battles is important to you then you will want to choose a class from the Disciples of War or the Disciples of Magic.
That being said, it is very easy to change classes later and may even be beneficial to choose more than one. Many players choose classes from the Disciples of the Hand or Disciples of the Land to supplement the other classes they have chosen in Disciples of War or Magic. This enables them to experience the thrill of battle while having a steady income from their crafting and gathering expeditions. The following includes a very brief description of each discipline and class. Links have been included for those who wish to research more thoroughly.
- Disciples of War: battle oriented classes who rely on weapons and strength to fight their opponents
Archer - bow users who require precision; guild located in Gridania
Gladiator - sword wielders who rely on brute force; guild located in Ul'dah
Lancer - polearm users who make use of their versatility; guild located in Gridania
Marauder - axe wielders who require brute force; guild located in Limsa Lominsa
Pugilist - hand-to-hand combatants who rely on the martial arts; guild located in Ul'dah
Disciples of Magic: battle oriented classes who rely on magical forces to fight their opponents and aid their allies
Conjurer - call upon elemental forces to weave their spells; guild located in Gridania
Thaumaturge - call upon the powers of life, death, and the great beyond; guild located in Ul'dah
Disciples of the Hand: crafters who focus their skills to synthesize and repair items
Alchemist - combine ingredients to create potions and synthetic materials; guild located in Ul'dah
Armorer - create heavy armor from malleable metals; guild located in Limsa Lominsa
Blacksmith - makers of metal weapons and tools; guild located in Limsa Lominsa
Carpenter - form wood into useful utensils and furnishings; guild located in Gridania
Culinarian - provide foods ranging from simple rations to gourmet dishes; guild located in Limsa Lominsa
Goldsmith - makers of fine accessories and aesthetics; guild located in Ul'dah
Leatherworker - create sturdy clothing and armor of moderate protection; guild located in Gridania
Weaver - makers of comfortable and fashionable clothing offering light protection. guild located in Ul'dah
Disciples of the Land: gatherers who work the land to obtain supplies
Botanist - harvest and log materials from all forms of plant life; guild located in Gridania
Fisher - catchers of the realm's marine and freshwater resources; guild located in Limsa Lominsa
Miner - excavators of the land's mineral wealth; guild located in Ul'dah
It's now time to choose your nameday. The moon phases correspond with the 12 months of the year, each with 32 different days of the sun. There is no known impact on character development other than a fun way personalize them with their own birthdays. You must also choose a guardian diety, otherwise known as one of 'The Twelve'. These guardians are somewhat like Zodiac signs since they each have corresponding astral or umbral moons. They also associate themselves with a certain element and play a role in the welfare of Eorzea's people, much like the Greek gods.
It is still unclear how choosing a guardian will impact your character, but you will have the option of requesting 'Guardian's Favor' during gameplay. The skill boost appears to be the same for all players, regardless of their designated guardian. If you are unsure which diety to choose, there is an easy way to allow the character creation system to choose for you. When you choose your nameday, the character creator will automatically change the default guardian to the one associated with the moon phase or month you have chosen. You may also choose your guardian based on the other aspects of the game that they are associated with. The following is a list of known associations.
- Halone, the Fury - 1st astral moon; element - ice; goddess of war
- deity of the city-state of Ishgard; may be associated with Gladiators because she is depicted holding a shield
- Menphina, the Lover - 1st umbral moon; element - ice; goddess of the twin moons
- diety of the Keepers of the Moon Miqo'te; may also be associated with Culinarians because she is depicted holding a skillet
- Thaliak, the Scholar - 2nd astral moon; element - water; god of wisdom and knowledge
- diety of the city state of Sharlayan; may also be associated with Thaumaturgists because he is depected holding a staff
- Nymeia, the Spinner - 2nd umbral moon; element - water; goddess of fate
- deity of the Weavers' Guild; she is also depicted with a spinning wheel
- Llymlaen, the Navigator - 3rd astral moon; element - wind; goddess of the seas
- deity of Limsa Lominsa; may also be associated with Fishers because she is depicted holding a harpoon
- Oschon, the Wanderer - 3rd umbral moon; element - wind; god of vagrants and the mountains
- diety of the Miners' Guild; may also be associated with Archers because he is depected holding a bow and arrow
- Byregot, the Builder - 4th astral moon; element - lightning; god of architecture and industry
- may be associated with Blacksmiths, Goldsmiths, Armorers, and Carpenters because he is depicted holding a hammer
- Rhalgr, the Destroyer - 4th umbral moon; element - lightning; god of destruction
- deity of the fallen nation of Ala Mhigo; may also be associated with Conjurers because his symbol is the streaking meteor
- Azeyma, the Warden - 5th astral moon; element - fire; goddess of the sun
- deity of the Seekers of the Sun Miqo'te; she is associated with nobility because she is depicted holding a golden fan
- Nald'thal, the Trader - 5th umbral moon; element - fire; twin gods of commerce, Nald and Thal
- diety of Ul'dah; may also be associated with all Disciples of the Hand because he is depicted as a merchant
- Nophica, the Matron - 6th astral moon; element - earth; goddess of abundant harvests;
- diety of Gridania; may also be associated with Botanists because she is depicted holding a scythe
- Althyk, the Keeper - 6th umbral moon; element - earth; god of time and space
- may be associated with Marauders because he is depicted holding a greataxe
Your character is almost ready to enter Eorzea. If you plan to join friends in FFXIV then you need to make sure to choose the same server, otherwise you won't be able to interact with them. Other than that, your world selection will not have much affect on your gameplay other than the general population on that server. The number of Chocobos next to the world name indicates how full the server is. If you are concerned that your computer may run slower when the server is congested, then you may want to choose a world with a relatively lower population. The worlds have been named after cities from previous games in the Final Fantasy series.
Choosing a name can be one of the hardest decisions you will have to make during the character creation process. You will need to choose both a given name and a surname. Keep in mind that you may be addressed by just your first name by other players, NPC's, and during cutscenes, so titles such as 'Sir' and 'Lady' may get old fast. It is also possible to have the same first or last name as another player, just as long as both names are not the same. It is possible to transfer a name from FFXI to FFXIV but the system will automatically use your server name as your character's last name.
The last thing you will need to do is choose a starting city. If you chose your World based on where your friends will be playing, then you might want to choose the same city as well. You will eventually be able to travel to the other cities but it could be dangerous without getting a few levels behind you first. Your starting city will determine the storyline quests you will encounter at the beginning of the game, but it will be possible to complete quests for other nations later on.
Think about what is important to you as you are choosing your starting city. If you don't want to do much traveling at the beginning of the game then you may want to choose the city where the guild for your class is located. Most vendors and shops tend to sell items and equipment based on local guilds. The storyline will also revolve around the races and clans of the area, and tend to include the elements that are most important to their people. The following is a list of guild and clan associations with each city-state.
- Limsa Lominsa - a maritime port with an economy driven by fishing, sailing, and pirating
- Guilds: Marauders; Armorers; Blacksmiths; Culinarians; Fishermen
- Clans: Midlander Hyur; Plainsfolk Lalafell; Sea Wolf Roegadyn
- Ul'dah - a commercial city with an economy driven by the buying and selling of goods, fighting arenas, and gambling halls
- Guilds: Gladiators; Pugilists; Thaumaturgists; Alchemists; Goldsmiths; Weavers; Miners
- Clans: Highlander Hyur; Dunesfolk Lalafell; Hellsguard Roegadyn; Seekers of the Sun Miqo'te
- Gridania - a woodland community with an economy driven by agriculture, forestry, and hunting
- Guilds: Lancers; Archers; Conjurers; Carpenters; Leatherworkers; Botanists
- Clans: Wildwood Elezen; Duskwight Elezen; Keepers of the Moon Miqo'te
You are now ready to start your adventure. Welcome to Eorzea!
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