The "Good Player" Checklist

I've bitched in the past about how little consideration some people would have for others in their linkshell. Some may think this is just limited to conversation, but it's not. There are actually a number of things you can do to help out your fellow team members and you probably don't even know it. So here today is a checklist for everyone to use.

1. Outpost warps.

You do no one any favors by asking for teleports over linkshell. If your nation hasn't captured a zone in a while, so be it, but your absolute most basic Outposts you should get are Valdeaunia, Tavnazian Safehold, and Qufim. These three alone will provide you access to the most commonly used areas. If you're doing dynamis quite a bit, then you need to add Zulkheim, Fauregandi and Kolshushu to that list. I'm sure anyone can make the case for some of the other zones (like Lil'Telor for sky) and obviously, the more outposts you have the better.

This all builds and leads to one major point:

The faster and more efficiently you can move your ass around, the happier and less bored your LS mates will be.

(That line will be a bit of a theme throughout this checklist).

There really is no excuse outside of a nation simply never controlling a zone for Outposts not to get done. They're free to do. If you have WHM at 42, then you pretty much have a way to get to every single outpost via teleport and chocobo. If not, someone does and ask. Get yourself in the habit of checking conquest results each Sunday and just get them done.

2. Maps

Do you like knowing your way around and having to wait on people that are getting lost?

No.

So don't do it to anyone else. Get your maps and use the marker system if you get lost easily. A lot of maps can simply be purchased while others need quests to get them. Some quests are really simple, others are a gargantuan pain in the ass. Don't complain, just do it. Now.

3. Minimal Effort in Storylines

This part isn't me saying "Get your storylines done." This part is me saying get past Diabolos in CoP. This part is me saying get far enough in ToAU to get your runic portals (YES GET THOSE TOO THEY COUNT AS OUTPOSTS). This part is me saying get Tu'Lia access from the Zilart missions. Just getting that far in those three storylines will open up a TON of options for you in terms of gameplay and allow you to do more with your friends.

Find yourself saying "I don't have access"?

STFU, take initiative and get it done.

There is no point in having a level 75 job if you can't go anywhere of any significance with it.

4. Research

I'm the first to admit that this isn't exactly my best quality, but even the standard I hold myself to in regards to this subject is light years better than some of the people I've run across. This is a primary reason why I don't do any form of a pick up group for anything.

If you're planning an event or planning on participating in one, do everyone else a favor and at LEAST read the wiki page on it before you go. You don't have to understand everything completely, but a very basic understanding of what to expect goes such a long way towards something being successful. If you sit on your ass and let the others do the research for you, then it's probably not going to be long before you aren't invited to anything anymore.

This isn't saying you should have every single formula memorized for every possible WS or Spell that you'd be utilizing, but at least understanding the majority of the time things as simple as "You can't stun Kirin" or "Jailer of Love's regen gets nerfed after 10 sets of 3 spawned critters" will be huge and that sort of information is stuff you can find right off the bat just by typing in the name of the target in Wiki.

5. Whitegate Warps from each city.

Four cities have the ability to warp you directly to Whitegate. Most are content with just having Jeuno and their starter nation done. Get all 4 done because you never know when your travels are going to require you have to haul ass somewhere. It's a far better use of your time to:

Job Change - Exit Mog House - Whitegate

Instead of:

Job Change - Exit Mog House - Warp - Enter Mog House - Job Change - Exit Mog House - Whitegate

6. "Alleyway" Mog House Exits

It's a flower.

That you give to a kid.

You get to exit to any part of a city from your Mog House.

It's really annoying watching someone run in from Sarutabaruta and avoid the Mog House completely cause they haven't done this quest, all the way to the trail markings when they could have just entered the Mog House and exited right there. Not quite as irritating, but just as stupid is the same relative scenario applied to Whitegate/Al Zahbi.

7. Items For All Occasions

Food.
Echo Drops (if you're most commonly something that casts).
Eye Drops (if you're most commmonly something that melees).
Poison Potions.
Antidotes.
Reraise.
Holy Waters.

You get the idea. There's rarely anything you can do in this game that something on that list won't help out with.

8. Fame Quests

Yes these take a little bit of gil and a whole lot of monotony, but maxing your fame out every place you can will prevent you from being cockblocked in several different areas of the game.

Stop sniveling and get them done.

9. Gobbie Bag Quests

The first few of these are super cheap and super easy to do. You need Jeuno fame (see item #8).

Who doesn't like more inventory space? If you're not sure, let me tell you who DOES like more inventory space...

Your wallet.

"Wait, how does my wallet like more inventory space?"

More space to keep stuff for NPC sales or various other gil-acquisition quests.

"What does this have to do with consideration for others??!?!"

No one likes a bum. Max your space. Max your farming capacity. Make money. No one has to loan you money constantly.

If you're cash strapped, put a group together to do various story lines in the game as the rewards from them will yield items necessary for the various upgrades. I'm not saying max your Gobbiebag out, but ffs...don't run around with a 30 item Gobbiebag as a level 75 character asshat.

10. Job Research

Have you really thought about that job you're leveling?

Really?

You're leveling it because you like it right?

Not because you think it looks cool?

(Well ok...it can look cool, but that better not be the only reason...)

Seriously, do some reading or ask around and at least try to point your character in the direction it needs to go. Try to understand fundamental differences like Attack vs. STR or MAcc vs. MAB. Try to get a feel for what gear you should be aiming for and if it's something that's out of your playtime frame to get, try to figure out what is attainable for you or sufficient enough to do the job.

There isn't much effort in doing this nowadays. Most of this game's secrets are completely fleshed out and there's a general blueprint for damn near every job out there. You don't necessarily have to follow said blueprint, but you should at least pay attention to them enough to understand what some people will expect.

Conclusion

There you have it. A checklist you can follow to make yourself a better player and subsequently, make everyone's life around you easier. These aren't super time consuming or all-involving tasks to accomplish, but I've found that a lot of players just simply don't follow some of the most basic things out there and ultimately cost everyone else around them a bunch of time, money, and XP trying to pick up the slack for them.

Don't be that guy.