- Prioritize MSQs and class quests to unlock skills and advance quickly.
- Activate Aetherytes and use teleportation to save time in each session.
- Read skills, master combos, and position yourself to improve damage and control.
- Earn gil through crafting and trading, supported by weeklies and treasure maps.

Final Fantasy XIV offers enormous depth and a number of activities that can be overwhelming for anyone new to Eorzea. Whether you're just installing the Starter Edition or jumping into the free trial (highly recommended to get started), it's normal to feel overwhelmed by so many options and systems at once.
This article brings together practical and proven tips to make your first few hours clearer and more fun: how to progress quickly through the main story and class quests, how classes and their job upgrades work, when and why to use fast travel, what you should know about skills and positioning, and, of course, how to earn gil without taking a wild stab.
Before you jump in: Free trial, character creation, and first adventures
If you are hesitating between buying the Starter Edition or trying it for freeThe sensible thing to start with is the free trial: it lets you play the game slowly, learn its systems, and decide if you're hooked without paying for it right away. In those first few hours, don't obsess over doing "everything." The goal is to familiarize yourself with the controls, interface, menus, and basic concepts.
During character creation You'll be asked to choose a starting class. Don't stress: you'll be able to play all of them later. The important thing is to choose something you enjoy in terms of style (melee, ranged, magic, or tank) so that learning feels more natural. From there, the game will guide you through your first quests in Eorzea, where you'll begin to unlock key systems.
Classes and Jobs: How Leveling Works in FFXIV
A peculiarity of FFXIV is that the level is determined by the class, not the character.This means you can have multiple classes on the same adventurer and level each one independently. With time and patience, you could even max them all on the same account, although that's a long-term goal.
Basic classes become jobs as you progress. A classic example: Gladiator evolves into Paladin, and they share the same level. This change unlocks more specialized tools and skills for the role. In practice, focus on leveling up the class you're currently using and leave the rest for later; trying to do everything at once at first only slows down your progress and complicates learning.
Missions and experience: prioritize well to level up quickly
In your first hours there are two absolute priorities If you're looking to progress without getting lost: the main story (Main Scenario Quest or MSQ) and class missions. They set the pace for your actual progression through content, gear, and unlocked areas.
- Main Story (MSQ): It's the backbone of the game. It advances the plot, gives you tons of EXP, and unlocks essential content.
- Class Missions: They appear every 5 levels and are vital. They are used to unlock key abilities and, sometimes, to obtain specific equipment.
On the other hand, missions with an exclamation mark on a yellow background They tend to be filler side quests: they provide little experience and rarely contribute to core mechanics in the early stages. Do them only if you want to for the story or for completion, but don't make them your focus if your goal is to progress smoothly.
With this simple prioritization You will make sure that you do not fall short of the level, that you understand each system when it is necessary and that you optimize There that you invest, avoiding the unnecessary stops typical of those who try to “clean” the entire map from the beginning.
Fast Travel: Aetherytes and Why They Save You Hours
Throughout the world you will see blue crystals called AetheryteApproach each one to tune in as soon as you see it, both in cities and open areas. This gesture allows you to teleport to that point, which greatly reduces travel time on foot or on horseback.
Teleporting costs gil, yes, but it's worth it.The amount of time you save by going from mission to mission or between zones is enormous, especially when the distances become great. Don't worry about money at this stage: between mission rewards and selling unused gear, you'll have more than enough to cover the costs of fast travel.
Make it a habit to activate all the Aetherytes See and explore each city until you've turned them all on. You'll gain comfort, speed, and a sense of fluidity that makes the difference between short, rewarding sessions or endless routes from one point to another.
Skills, combos, and positioning: Get more out of your rotation
Stop and read your skill descriptions.Many classes, especially melee classes, have combos: chains of actions where using one ability enhances the next. The game itself makes it easy by highlighting the next component of the combo on the bar when it's due.
The Gladiator, for example, has a simple rotation at the beginning, and you'll see the interface highlight the next hit in a chain. Internalizing this will make you more efficient in combat, increasing damage or better maintaining threat generation if you're tanking.
Positioning mattersYou'll find references to "Flank" and "Rear" in several abilities. Note the circle at the enemy's feet: the rear segment has a small gap (the back), and the sections to the left and right are the sides. Positioning yourself well can increase damage or activate bonuses to your abilities, so it's worth practicing this terrain reading.
With these basic notions of combos and positions You'll notice that enemies fall faster, you have more health to spare, and everything fits together better. It's a leap in quality that's immediately noticeable, even in early dungeons.
How to earn gil easily: crafting, market, and more

If you want to get a good mattress Without overcomplicating things, crafting classes are a goldmine. Cooking, forging armor, or crafting home furnishings are all activities that can be very profitable, especially when you aim for high-level items.
The market board is your allyCreate items and review their prices before deciding what to mass-produce. Some items fetch very substantial prices: it's not uncommon to see pieces priced around 100.000 gil when there's demand. This way, you can identify opportunities and focus on what really sells.
Don't be afraid to invest in essential materials If you can use them to make something of greater value. It's normal to spend a little to earn more later. The key is to have a positive margin: you buy relatively cheap raw materials and sell the finished product at a profit.
Sell armor you no longer use Or collecting in-demand materials also works. Some crafting-focused players buy raw materials in bulk; supplying that demand is a stable way to make money. And yes, you can "speculate": buy when something drops in price and resell later, but do so wisely so you don't get caught short.
Don't forget the weekly challenges and treasure maps. The former provide constant extra income, while the latter can yield very juicy loot, although they require a little more organization. They're not as accessible as crafting and selling, but they're worth a look if you want to diversify your income.
Job Tier List: Getting Your bearings without being constrained
There are level lists that order the jobs based on their performance, and you'll see recent additions like Pictomancer and Viper mentioned in them. These guides are helpful for getting your bearings and understanding trends, but remember that balance changes with patches, and your comfort with a class matters a lot.
Use it as a guide, not as a dogma.If a job is fun for you, you'll play it better, learn faster, and find it easier to perform. In the long run, familiarity with rotation, cooldowns, and positioning will give you more than chasing an "S tier" that doesn't fit you.
What to do in your first sessions: a practical and stress-free plan
When you go online, have a simple goal: Play through a few story missions and see if the next class mission is available. With that as a compass, everything else will flow naturally.
Activate every Aetheryte you find And use teleportation with gusto when the route is long. If you're short on time, you'll be very grateful to cut down on travel and link missions in minutes instead of lengthening sessions just by walking.
If you are interested in gil, take some time to look at the market. Craft a couple of the highest-level items you can make, compare prices, and put them up for sale. Repeat with different products until you find the ones that are popular on your server. After a few days, you'll have a portfolio that covers trips and treats without breaking the bank.
Improving your combat performance: small habits that add up
Before entering a dungeon, check your skill bar. and keep the main combo buttons and your mitigations or utilities within easy reach. While the rotation is simple at first, getting used to a logical order will help you as you unlock more actions.
Read the enemy status window to recognize when a combo or ability effect has been applied. Knowing whether a weakness is active or whether you've completed the chaining helps guide you better than blindly tapping abilities.
Practice positioning on non-boss enemiesMoving to the rear or flanks on normal creatures allows you to automate placement without pressure. When bosses with more demanding mechanics come along, you'll get into the habit and take advantage of those bonuses.
Gil beyond craftsmanship: what to sell and when
Besides crafting, there is money in clearing your inventoryThat gear you have left over from quests or dungeons, if you're not going to scrap it, usually sells well. Avoid hoarding for the sake of hoarding: check stats and use or sell it.
The collection of highly demanded materials (the ones used by many crafters) have a constant output. Watch the board, note prices, and notice spikes: some raw materials increase when guides are published, fashion trends emerge, or new people reach the required level to craft.
Enter the weekly challenges from time to time and collect the rewards. They don't require a huge amount of dedication and add up over time. Treasure maps, on the other hand, are a fun social activity that, with a bit of luck, more than covers your weekly expenses.
Avoid these rookie traps
Don't get hung up on the yellow background secondariesThey're not designed to sustain your initial leveling, and unless you're looking for local story or specific rewards, they disperse your time away from what will make you progress the most.
Don't put off class questsEvery five levels is a necessary toll to unlock skills that change your kit. Skipping them leaves you halfway, with a hamstrung rotation that performs less than it should.
Don't dismiss fast travel to save four gil.The time you waste running around translates into fewer missions completed, fewer rewards, and, paradoxically, less money at the end of the session.
How to choose your job without losing your way
Use tier lists as a map, not a GPSJust because a job is high on a tier list doesn't mean it'll work better for you. If you like a class for its fantasy, animations, or pacing, that motivation will help you master it faster.
Remember that you can change classes on the same character.Don't get stuck with your first choice forever. Experiment, rotate, and find where you feel comfortable. Later, when you've mastered the basics, you'll have time to optimize and tighten your teeth with more demanding rotations.
When you come across Pictomancer or Viper In guides and lists, take this as good news: there's a variety of fresh options. The important thing is to choose something that motivates you to keep coming back every day, because that way you learn more and better.
With all of the above, you have a clear roadmap To get off to a good start, prioritize MSQs and class quests every 5 levels, activate Aetherytes whenever possible to cut down on time, understand your combos and position yourself to maximize your abilities, and use crafting, the market board, and weekly challenges to ensure gil is never an issue. With that foundation, Eorzea becomes much more enjoyable, and your sessions will be twice as productive.
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