Starting out in Vana'diel: The Fields of Valor
Hello there Adventurers! I hope everything is going well for you in Final Fantasy XI since we last spoke. Where we last left off, we were speaking with the initial NPC trainer and getting through the opening "tutorial."
However, as reader Dana noticed, "They want me to go out and grind dagger skill... so... more endless grinding." Well, you're right and wrong, Dana! You're right, they do want you to go out and level up your dagger skill and that can be a bit boring. But the endless grinding has been lessened by the advent of a new system -- one that could easily be missed by long-term players. Today's article will be focusing on that brand new system, the Fields of Valor.
What makes this system so good? How does it help you in the lower levels? How do I use it? These answers and more are a short distance below, across the divide manned by the pretty blue "continue reading" link.
Wait a minute, books don't float!
By this point, you might have wandered outside the confines of your city. Outside there's a very odd floating book called a Field Manual. Selecting it will bring up one of the best new features to the low level game, the Fields of Valor Training Regime selection. For those of you in Bastok, you'll find your manual outside of the gate that connects Port Bastok to North Gustaberg in map block L-8. If you're in San d'Oria, you'll find a field manual in West Ronfaure between the two San d'Oria gates in block I-6. Lastly, the Windurst book is at the Windurst Waters gate in West Sarutabaruta, map block J-8.
Training Regimes are much like World of Warcraft quests, except without any flavor text or pulled punches. Each page of the manual will present to you a group of monsters that it wants you to fight, where those monsters are located, and what job level the regime is aimed at. Normally, the higher the page, the harder the regime will become.
There is another section for "field support," but we'll get to that later. To use that section, you need some tabs, which you don't have yet.
So, what's in it for me?
Well, there's alot in it for you, young adventurer! Completing one of these regimes will net you bonus experience on top of the experience given to you for defeating the monsters, a nice chunk of gil, and tabs that you can use for the field support section of the field manuals. These regimes are completed the moment you defeat the last monster, so no need to run back to the field manual to turn it in.
Of special note: you can only take a training regime each Vana'dielian day, which is roughly once per hour. So, if you complete your regime in the same hour you took one, you will have to wait until the next hour to take another.
However, if you take a regime during one hour, such as Firesday, and finish during a different hour, such as Earthsday, you will be able to pick up a new regime.
Spending your tabs for perks
When you get some regimes under your belt, take your tabs back to the field manual and check out some of the perks you can grab in the "field support" section. Of special importance to your leveling are the regen and refresh buffs. To be gaining back 1 HP a tick at such an early level can let you continually get into fights without stopping too long to rest, making experience gain go much faster. To aid you in this, grab the food bonus for your type of class -- you can check those out through FFXIclopedia.
It doesn't stop here!
Fields of Valor isn't for the early game. Later, you'll be finding field support manuals next to outposts so you can do some with your party. All you need to do is coordinate with your party and all select the same regime. If you need a full list of their locations, then go right ahead and read this comprehensive list from FFXIclopedia.
Next week on Tuesday, we're going to go after the conquest system and signet buff. How do the two work together to get you some nice items, free spawn points, and open the NPC market? You'll seen on Tuesday! Until then, safe adventures in Vana'diel!
