I did a quick run in Dynamis - Beaucedine with trusts. Be careful in this area! You can still die at level 99 if you are not careful! One of the reasons I regret quitting Final Fantasy 11 in 2006 is I missed the opportunity to experience an event called Dynamis the way it was meant to be experienced. In order to participate in Dynamis, a player must have a job at least level 65. I quit playing when I had Black Mage at level 64.
Dynamis is basically the Final Fantasy 11 version of a raid. It's where players could get good gear and a relic weapon that can be upgraded 4 times. It took so much effort to completely upgrade a relic weapon that few players did. I'm glad that I am was able to use trusts to see what Dynamis is like when I started playing again in 2018, but I know it's not the same as running Dynamis with other players in 2006 when level 75 was the max level. I'm also glad Square did away with the requirement to pay 1 million Gil to get into Dynamis.
The black & purple Black Mage gear that I used for Style Lock while was acquired from various Dynamis runs. I really wanted the sorcerer's set the first time I played Final Fantasy 11. I was so happy to finally get it when I started playing again so many years later.
I was running laps in Ru'Lude Gardens when I noticed a weird graphic bug by the NPC, Petva. If you approach him from a certain angle slowly, you can see it. It looks like the wings that were on Hades.
Get the game on Steam: https://store.steampowered.com/app/230330/FINAL_FANTASY_XI_Ultimate_Collection_Seekers_Edition/
I recommend playing the game with a free launcher called Windower: https://www.windower.net/
I used this online guide to complete missions & quests:
https://ffxiclopedia.fandom.com/wiki/Main_Page
I recorded my character exploring Qufim Island. I remember leveling in this area the first time I played Final Fantasy 11. I came here to level when I started playing the second time too. I also remember the quest to unlock the Summoner job. I had to go to a cave and get a specific type of flower. I only got Summoner to level 20. I ran to that cave in this video. I didn't unlock Summoner this time. I bet Summoner is a fun job at max level.
https://ffxiclopedia.fandom.com/wiki/Qufim_Island
Get the game on Steam: https://store.steampowered.com/app/230330/FINAL_FANTASY_XI_Ultimate_Collection_Seekers_Edition/
I recommend playing the game with a free launcher called Windower: https://www.windower.net/
I used this online guide to complete missions & quests:
https://ffxiclopedia.fandom.com/wiki/Main_Page
A bunch of players were throwing this toy around when I was in Goldshire. It looked neat. I'm glad I saved the moment. I was observing this while playing my mage.
https://archive.ph/nYfWC
I recorded my character exploring The Boyahda Tree. I have memories of leveling here when I was playing between 2004-2006. I remember killing the crabs. One funny memory I have of this place is when the tank accidentally pulled a Notorious Monster because it looked like the ordinary crabs we had been killing.
https://ffxiclopedia.fandom.com/wiki/The_Boyahda_Tree
Get the game on Steam: https://store.steampowered.com/app/230330/FINAL_FANTASY_XI_Ultimate_Collection_Seekers_Edition/
I recommend playing the game with a free launcher called Windower: https://www.windower.net/
I used this online guide to complete missions & quests:
https://ffxiclopedia.fandom.com/wiki/Main_Page
Exploring Valkurm Dunes. For many players, Valkurm Dunes was the first area where they joined a party in the "good old days." Before trusts, players needed to join a group in order to kill foes that gave a good amount of experience points. I remember making many mistakes in this area. This is where I learned the importance of keeping an eye on healer's mana and not starting a fight with something if the healer was too low on mana. If you wanted to make a healer mad, start a new fight when the healer was low on mana. I also learned as a black mage not to go wild with the attack spells or the enemy would ignore the tank and come after me.
Goblins in this area used to chase people all over the map and kill them. They were unforgiving. Unlike World of Warcraft and Final Fantasy 14, enemies don't stop chasing you after you run a certain distance. I found out the hard way one time when I ran from one goblin and it later caught up to me and killed me. In Valkurm Dunes, I also found out not to cast spells around elementals or they would attack.
Between 2004 - 2006, when I still wasn't sure what job I wanted to take to max level, I spent many hours in Valkurm Dunes killing stuff. These days, people level so fast that they don't spend time here like they used to. As seen in this video, Valkurm Dunes is a mostly empty area now.
https://ffxiclopedia.fandom.com/wiki/Valkurm_Dunes
Get the game on Steam: https://store.steampowered.com/app/230330/FINAL_FANTASY_XI_Ultimate_Collection_Seekers_Edition/
I recommend playing the game with a free launcher called Windower: https://www.windower.net/
I used this online guide to complete missions & quests:
https://ffxiclopedia.fandom.com/wiki/Main_Page
I recorded my character exploring Ro'Maeve. I can't remember if I got to see this area the first time I played Final Fantasy 11. I spent some time leveling here the 2nd time I played, and I had to pass through this area to get to the Hall of the Gods on missions.
https://ffxiclopedia.fandom.com/wiki/Ro'Maeve
Get the game on Steam: https://store.steampowered.com/app/230330/FINAL_FANTASY_XI_Ultimate_Collection_Seekers_Edition/
I recommend playing the game with a free launcher called Windower: https://www.windower.net/
I used this online guide to complete missions & quests:
https://ffxiclopedia.fandom.com/wiki/Main_Page