All the roads end in Rome

What does Rome have to do with FFXI? Well, allow me to explain it. As I already implied in a previous blog, the character that I play in the game is a Red Mage (I am a hell of a RDM). At the beginning, I did not know the role of my character at all. I played some previous FF games and I saw ninjas, samurais, monks, dragoons, white mages, wizards (or black mages), thieves, dancers and some other "jobs". Never a Red Mage in my memory.

So I started to level up going from level-1 to level-10 and then I got my first invitation to be in a party. I did not know about Aggro, Links, Macros, WS, SC, AOE, DOT or any concept about a party or my function inside the group. The only thing I knew was that there were fighters and mages, but I was a mix between them. A RDM can fight with a sword or dagger and also cast spells. A simple question popped in my mind "What am I then?"

Today, I can dissipate that doubt easily. Red Mage as its title implies is a Mage. You may not like the answer, you can argue about it, at the end it is what it is. If you are playing as a Red Mage then YOU ARE A MAGE. I have to admit that I was a complete noob. I used to melee in parties (mages never melee) and I was wearing fighter's gear more than a mage one. My first sour taste came with the Support Job quest. Already on level-18 and ready to complete it, I learned that I needed to level up my support job as my main job too. Didn't I say could any RPG be a little bit easier?

From the six initial jobs: Warrior (WAR), Monk (MNK), Thief (THF), White Mage (WHM), Black Mage (BLM), Red Mage (RDM), I could choose and start to level any of them or I could wait until I reach level-30 and unlock the rest of the advance support jobs: Paladin (PLD), Ninja (NIN), Samurai (SAM), Corsair (COR), Dark Knight (DRK), Dragoon (DRG), Ranger (RNG), Beast Master (BST), Puppet Master (PUP), Summoner (SMN), Bard (BRD), Blue Mage (BLU), Dancer (DNC), and Scholar (SCH). So, with a wide gamma of pretty different jobs, powers, spells, abilities and gears I have to choose the more suitable one to backup my RDM.

But I can fight with my sword...

Yes, you can but as I said before you are a mage and you may not like it; at the end a fact is a fact. YOU ARE A MAGE. For low level parties, a RDM can help with some enfeeble or heal casting. They can allow you to melee but once you set a foot on the 40's every thing changes. Your noob days of melee are gone for good and your main instruction on Magic 101 begins.

The success of a party depends on its members. Every role is important, and you need to know the best and the worst of the job you get for your main character. From now on you become a Refresher. If you prefer action, smash on heads, slice bodies, ande get physical then you choose the wrong job. Black Mages and White Mages use Intelligence for Magic Accuracy and Mind for Magic Strenght respectively. As a solo RDM your life depends on your SJ to survive. As a party mage you need to make your Circle of Life (and forget about Akunamatata). Refresh yourself, refresh the WHM, refresh the PLD, and refresh any remaining MP user.

Red Mages... We rule!

Any job is fun. You just need to love it. Fighter, mage, damage dealer or puller just get one job and start having fun. This is Vana'Diel... so the dream is in you... your time has come!

- Ok guys this is my Refresh Circle: RDM>WHM>PLD the rest get a ticket and wait. You like it we are ok, you don't... then it is my way or the highway.

For new players

JOB: Other games name it as class FFXI offer 20 different jobs for your character to choose.

LEVEL: You start the game at level-1 and reach the highest level at 75.

SJ: Short for Support Job. Your SJ will be always half the level of your main job.

AGGRO: Short for Aggressive Behavior.

LINK: The "call for help" from a mob.

MACRO: A programmable command line assigned to a key to perform an action with your character.

MP: Short for Mana Points

SC: Short for Skill Chain

AOE: Short for Area of Effect

DOT: Short for Directly on Target

WS: Short for Weapon Skill