My FFXI Adventure Continues Into Post Level 75 Content, Dynamis, Ambuscade, And Finishing Stories

Two weeks ago I started writing about my return to Final Fantasy XI (FFXI). I detailed some of my extensive history with the MMORPG and why I was coming back to the game. I also covered some of the things I had already completed and what some of my plans were going forward. Now it's time for another update as I start heading into content with which I'm not already intimately familiar.

As for my progress, let me catch you up. My Red Mage is now level 99 and I have all primary and secondary Merit Point additions for the job. I've moved on to spending Merit Points to expand various items like the max number of Merit Points I can carry, spell class improvements, HP upgrades, and other all-purpose enhancements. Job points are now on the table, too.

For those that don't play or haven't played in a long time, let me sum up what that means. Once you hit the level 99 cap in FFXI your progression becomes horizontal via a number of systems. The system you hit first is the Merit Point system. You actually gain access to this at the game's previous level cap of 75 and you'll have to use it for a number of "limit break" quests to continue leveling to 99. It really just replaces the experience you were gaining while leveling. When in "Merit Point" mode, experience becomes Limit Points. Gain 10,000 limit points and you earn a Merit Point. When it comes to your character, you can use these Merit Points to choose from different improvements to your class. For example, as a Red Mage, I can opt to extended the duration of my enfeebling magic spells. You can't get ALL of the job's improvements, so you have to pick and choose based on how you play the job.

Merit points are also used in a few other ways like spending them on keys to high-level versions of previous fights and other quests. It never really goes away once unlocked.

When you hit level 99 you open up the Job Point system. Killing monsters earns you "Capacity Points" and every 30K CP gains you a job point. You can spend these points on further job enhancements and gaining them may unlock new abilities or spells, too. Yes, you can earn Merit and Job points at the same time if you like.

There's more to the Job Point system, but I'll save that for a future article as it will take quite some time for me to gain the points needed to start gaining "Master Levels" for my job. Put a pin in that for right now, we'll get to it at some point.

Messing with these systems is also one of the most enjoyable parts of my return, though. Sure, FFXI and more "old school" MMOs get some flack for lacking the full direction-giving that more modern entries of the genre have, but figuring out the systems and content is half the fun so far. It's "just cryptic enough" if that makes sense.

All that is going really well, but we're neck deep in other content, too. If you're familiar with my FFXI history, you know that I was playing to an insane level in the level cap 75 era. I actually have very little experience in the 99 era. Sure, I knew it was a thing, I knew what Ambuscade was, I knew Square Enix added new stories and content, but I had moved on by that time and when I came back to mess around for a month, I was playing on lower level jobs screwing around with friends.

Now I find myself doing daily Domain Invasions (basically rotating boss fights in 3 different zones that anyone in the zone can take part in if they have certain content unlocked), Ambuscade fights (think trials for you FFXIV players except they rotate monthly and have multiple difficulty levels and you can solo some difficulties with your party of Trusts), and I'm even running through Dynamis content trying to get some of my Red Mage's 75 gear that I can start upgrading.

That's where I was finally reminded about something I may have forgotten. The gear grind in FFXI is super real. As a Red Mage, I will (someday) end up having a TON of gear that I literally swap through when doing different things. Sometimes I'll gear swap based on a spell I may be casting in combat. (Yes, you can do that).

Upgrading gear and weapons via multiple currencies from endgame content is something most MMO players are familiar with, that's not the "reminder." What's different is the grind for the materials and the fact that most gear is upgraded 2 or 3 times with different materials or currencies for each step. You thought the FFXIV relics of the past were a grind? You have no idea.

That said, Square Enix has implemented quite a few ways to speed this process up a bit so it isn't as bad as it used to be, but it still isn't "automatic." Many materials can be purchased with login points and from other new vendors, but there's still some that can't. Square Enix is actually working on making some of this easier still, so more changes are coming. In the meantime, Limbus (other high-level content) will be shut off for a while to add the improvements.

Weirdly, I am still loving that grind. The variety of content you can do to upgrade is vast, so if one grind is boring you, there's many others to choose from if you like.

To update you, I have 3/5 Duelist pieces farmed from Dynamis and am starting to upgrade those now.

Ninja, Scholar, and Black Mage jobs are now all level 50 so I can use each to their max as a subjob depending on the content I'm doing. Yes, I know eventually I'll need a few more levels on each, but we're pretty far from Master Levels, so I have plenty of time.

I've also unlocked Puppetmaster while I was knocking out a few Treasures of Aht Urhgan missions so I could advance in the Rhapsodies of Vana'diel content, and I am now fully done with the base nation missions, Rise of the Zilart, and Chains of Promathia.

Speaking of stories, while I played it at the time, I had forgotten how amazing of a story Chains of Promathia delivers. Zilart is great, too, but damn, I just love Promathia. With a cast of memorable characters, some decent plot twists along the way, and a betrayal that isn't telegraphed very much, Promathia is such a great FF story and it's a shame that it is locked from the world in the MMO.

Honestly, when/if FFXI ever goes away, I really hope Square Enix manages to capture some offline version similar to their Dragon Quest X treatment.

If you're curious about Prishe from the Echoes of Vana'diel raid in FFXIV, Chains of Promathia is the expansion you want to run through if you decide to play.

If you're playing FFXIV, Square Enix is running a bit of a special for you if you've ever thought about playing FFXI or returning to the MMO. Yes, you still have to buy the software if you don't own it, but $30 on Steam gets you EVERYTHING and it's on sale sometimes. Anyway, if you register FFXI on the same account you play FFXIV on, you can get a month of FFXI at a discounted rate. $6.95 gets you a month with 1 character on top of the free 30 days you got if you had to buy the game.

This is clearly a test to see if a "combined subscription" option would help FFXI. I don't get anything special here since I was already subscribed to both before it was announced, but you can catch a break. If you want the two MMOs to eventually have some "double" offer, maybe shell out a little cash and support this limited offer to show support.

If you want to join me, I'm on Lakshmi.

Until next time!

P.S. If you're on Lakshmi and you have 1 Molybdenum Ingot you want to sell, not having my inventory maxed to 80 slots is just driving my mind crazy.