During my 2 years of playing World of Warcraft, I never realized why my friends got so pissed at me, why they blamed me for wiping raids, or why they compared other failing raiders to me as though the comparison was something to be ashamed of. The blame my friends tossed around was meant to be only be a game– playful teasing at best, but I didn’t enjoy any of it.
When I switched to Final Fantasy XIV, it came to my attention that I might have done things horribly wrong in WoW. Compared to WoW, FFXIV is definitely more relaxing so I had no problem adapting. I have time during fights to observe, to learn, to gain experience as I go. I was never able to do that in WoW, so half the time I didn’t even know what I was doing wrong– I just did what I was told without even knowing why. And not knowing was exactly what I did wrong in WoW. I simply lacked common sense in WoW.
As I became better and better in FFXIV (not enough to be the best, but I can rank myself slightly above average), I started to judge the newbies like my friends used to judge me in WoW. I am a hypocrite, I know it, and I feel bad about it. But I definitely know the feeling of being looked down on when you can’t do things right. It’s frustrating to the point where you no longer enjoy the game.
Although FFXIV is a bit boring to most long-time players at the moment, I know it is still enjoyable for new adventurers. For anyone out there who’s new, here are some brief tips aimed to help you learn how to develop common sense when it comes to raiding in the game and how not to get blamed for wipes.
1. Common Sense for Everyone:
- Read guides or watch video before diving into a new fight.
- Tell people when you’re unsure about something. Ask for advice.
- Watch out for:
- Ground AoE.
- Adds.
- Target signs on players or monsters including yourself.
- Your own cooldown skills.
- Certain attacks that require you to focus target on boss (e.g.: Twister in T5, Blight in T6…).
- Don’t EVER stand in the fire. Move away from any abnormal-looking stuff on the ground.
2. Common Sense for Tanks:
- Flash/Overpower as soon as you got the mobs grouped.
- Always face mobs away from party, especially during boss fights. Unless the boss is in a phase that can’t be tanked or you have to dodge certain AoEs, of course.
- Don’t use Provoke/Hallowed Ground/Holmgang on cooldown. They are to be saved for emergency.
- If you have melee DPS in the party, avoid moving unnecessarily.
- Move out of fire. Also move the boss out of fire if there are melee DPS in the party.
- Use your defensive cooldowns wisely. You can ask the other tank for advice on when they should be used.
3. Common Sense for Healers:
- Don’t stay too far from the party unless the fight requires you to do so (for example, Searing Wind in Ifrit EX). Move back closer to the party whenever you can.
- In case of room-wide AoE, start casting Medica II/Succor before the boss finishes casting the AoE.
- Dodge bad stuff > Casting heals. If you die, there will be no heals. If others die, you can Raise them.
- Watch your Cleric Stance.
- Don’t stand in front of boss/next to main tank unless the guide says to stack on tank.
- White Mages, there are more healing spells than Medica II.
4. Common Sense for DPS:
- Stay close to healers unless you have to dodge bad stuff. Move back as soon as you can.
- Don’t stand next to the main tank or in front of the boss. If you have to move there to dodge something, get out as soon as you can.
- Don’t run towards the main tank when you have debuffs that will do AoE damage to everyone standing next to you (bringing Eruption to the main tank on Ifrit EX is a big NO NO).
- Dodging bad stuff > DPS. If you die, you do no DPS.
- Summoners, put your pet on “Obey”.
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