Character Creation

The 5 playable races are comprised of 16 character models for each race and applicable gender for a total of 128 Character Models. If that's not enough, each model can be also be assigned the size of small, medium, or large for a total of 384 unique looks. Furthermore, with 3 different nations, 18 different jobs and 75 different levels, the odds of meeting someone who is your virtual twin would be 1 in 1,555,200.

There's quite a bit of freedom to choose whatever race best suits your personal tastes. While, the base stats will vary for each race, most of the impact will be on what type of equipment you wear versus what job you decide to play. It is also common for players to play several jobs, so picking a race that's "perfect" for all of them isn't practical or necessary. There are some exceptions, though. If you want to be the strongest possible melee and plan to stack Strength gear you'd choose Elvaan. If you want the most intelligence and largest MP pool for your black mage, choose Tarutaru. Finally, if you want the most rounded stats because you plan on leveling several different types jobs, Hume is a good choice. With exceptions of strength and MP because of their value in the game, there is little reason to consider a race you wouldn't enjoy as much over a race that best suits your tastes simply because of base stats; even the strength and MP argument becomes moot unless you plan to only play one job type on that character and that's an advantage that you feel you need. Good equipment and player skill can overcome any racial shortcomings.

= The Character Creation Process = When you begin playing Final Fantasy XI, you will have to create a new character. Creating a character consists of several steps, each allowing several options to customize your gameplay experience. Click anyone of the steps to jump to it's section on the page.

1. Race → Gender (except Mithra and Galka) → 2. Face type → 3. Hair color → 4. Physical size (small, medium, large) → 5. Standard job → 6. Character name and world (server) → 7. Country (allegiance)

When you select "Create Character" from the top menu and press the |Enter| key, the character creation screen will appear. Remember that you must first sign up for a Content ID on the Final Fantasy XI top page to create an open account. You may purchase up to 16 Content IDs (in other words, create up to 16 characters). If you already have 16 characters, you will be unable to create additional characters. You must select "Delete Character" to create an empty space first.

If you have purchased a Content ID to create your first character, you should see one open slot. Select the open slot with the pointer and press the |Enter| key to begin the character creation process.

Simply deleting a character does not cancel a Content ID. To cancel a Content ID, you will need to use the "Cancel" option for Content IDs on the Final Fantasy top page.

1. Race & Gender
The world of Final Fantasy XI is home to many different races. Pick the type that you feel best suits you. Once you begin the game, you will not be able allowed to switch races or genders, so please reach the description of each race carefully before making your decision. Gender size, like physical size, is purely an aesthetic and personal choice; your base stats will remain static in terms of gender and model size; a male isn't stronger than a female, and a female isn't more intelligent than a male.


 * Hume (Male/Female)
 * Possibly the most numerous of the five races. Humes have spread from Bastok to live all over Vana'diel.  In comparison to the other races, Humes are characterized by having a fairly equal balance of abilities.  Hume male characters begin play with the Hume Tunic Set.  Hume female characters begin play with the Hume Vest Set.  Humes starting in Bastok begin the game with the Bastokan Ring.


 * Elvaan (Male/Female)
 * A tall, slender race famed for their swordsmanship, the Elvaan form the majority of the population of San d'Oria. Elvaan male characters begin play with the Elvaan Jerkin Set.  Elvaan female characters begin play with the Elvaan Bodice Set. Elvaan starting in San d'Oria begin the game with a San d'Orian Ring.


 * Tarutaru (Male/Female)
 * The Tarutaru form the majority of the population of Windurst and are known for their skill with magic. Although they outwardly resemble small children, their physical appearance belies their true age.  Tarutaru characters begin play with the Tarutaru Kaftan Set.  Tarutaru starting in Windurst begin the game with a Windurstian Ring.


 * Mithra
 * A race of catlike humanoids, the Mithra live in Windurst and its surrounding islands. They are characterized by their large ears, long tails, and superior agility.  There are very few male Mithra, and only female Mithra venture out into the world. Mithra characters begin play with the Mithran Separates Set.  Mithra starting in Windurst begin the game with a Windurstian Ring.


 * Galka
 * The Galka are a physically imposing race, and are the minority population of Bastok. Characterized by their hulking frames, the Galka are renowned for their unsurpassed strength.  The Galka reproduce through a form of reincarnation and hence have no specific gender, but are generally considered to be male. Galka characters begin play with the Galkan Surcoat Set.  Galka starting in Bastok begin the game with the Bastokan Ring.

2. Face Type
Each race allows you to choose from eight different face types. Select a face type and press the |Enter| key to make your choice.

3. Hair Color
You may select between two hair colors per face type.

Character Models
The following, illustrated tables feature the High-Quality rendered portraits of each of the 128 playable Character Models as they are displayed in the Character Creation screen. The Face and Hair labels match the actual Character Creation screen. Use the tables below to quickly pick out your favorite looks or easily make side-by-side comparisons for character models you are interested in; note the face-number and hair-letter to quickly find the same look in the Character Creation screen. Clicking an image will also display the full-size version.

4. Physical Size
Once you have decided your character's physical features, select a body size of small, medium, or large. Body size, like gender, is purely an aesthetic and personal choice; your base stats will remain static in terms of gender and model size; a large Elvaan isn't stronger than a medium or small one.

5. Main Job (Standard Job)
You must select a job for your character. Each job comes with a certain set of proficiencies that are collectively referred to as abilities. You will find these special abilities invaluable as you proceed through the game. You can select from six standard jobs when you create your character. You can also change your job at anytime by going to your Mog House.

Standard Jobs
The standard jobs are the six jobs you can select when you begin playing the game. You will find yourself quite weak the first time you start, but your powers will develop and grow as you proceed through the game and gain experience. Depending on your starting job, you also gain one free item or spell as a bonus.
 * Warriors
 * Close-combat specialists capable of using a wide variety of weaponry. Have a high defense rating stemming from their ability to wear many types of armor.  Poor at using magic.  Begins with an Onion Sword.


 * Monks
 * Martial artists whose bodies are deadly weapons. Can turn even the weakest of weapons into a destructive force.  Begins with a White Belt.


 * White Mages
 * Experts in white magic that specialize in healing and recovery spells. Weak in close combat, and prohibited from using bladed weapons.  Begins with an Onion Rod and the Cure healing spell.


 * Black Mages
 * Experts in black magic, specializing in offensive spells. Cannot use heavy armor that would compromise their ability to concentrate.  Begins with the Stone attack spell and an Onion Staff.


 * Red Mages
 * Capable of using both white and black magic; adept at swordsmanship. However, Red Mages take far longer to master powerful spells than White or Black Mages due to their broad range of abilities.  Begins with an Onion Dagger and the Dia enfeebling spell.


 * Thieves
 * Agile combat support specialists that excel at hindering enemies and stealing their items rather than attacking directly. Begins with the Onion Knife.

Choosing a Name
Type in a name for your character using the keyboard. The name you choose must be between three and fifteen characters long. Press the |+| key to generate a random name for your character. When you have finished entering a name, press the |Enter| key. If you receive an error message stating that the name cannot be registered, please try another name for your character. If you do not receive any error message, you have successfully created an alter ego for your adventures in Final Fantasy XI.

Choosing a World (server)
Final Fantasy XI is a massively multiplayer online game (MMORPG), and allows many different players to simultaneously participate in a virtual world that exists on a server; thus why a World is also commonly referred to a "Server" by players and the two terms have an identical meaning. However, there is a limit to the number of people who can use one server at the same time. Because of this, identical worlds have been created on different servers to ensure that the maximum number of people can enjoy the game. In Final Fantasy XI, these are called Worlds. As of the March 8th 2007 update you are able to select the world that you wish to play on, this applies for each new character you create, previously you needed a World Pass or a Gold World Pass to be able to choose your world. After you create a character, and log into the game, you will be able to go adventuring with other player characters (or PCs) that exist in the same World. The name of your character's World will appear in the log window whenever you log into the game. If you decide to create additional characters later, you will be prompted to choose the server in which you wish to create the character.

Once you have decided on a name for your character, you will be allowed to specify a World. (The default is "Not Specified.") The first letter of the World name must be capitalized.

World Pass Request
Do you need a Gold World Pass? Visit the WIKI World Pass Request page to view a list of servers and links to their respective World Pass Request threads in the FFXIclopedia forums.

Important!
Once created, a character cannot be moved to another World. There is a limit to the number of players that can be logged into the same world simultaneously. World Passes have expiration dates and can only be used to invite a limited number of individuals.

7. Allegiance
Now that you have made it this far, all that remains is to choose a nation in which you will begin your adventure. You may want to consider the relationships between races in each nation before choosing an allegiance. Once you have decided, you are ready to enter the world of Final Fantasy XI.

If you are still undecided after watching the selection demo for each nation, you can use the WIKI pages Windurst, San d'Oria and Bastok to help you decide. Also, if you change your mind later, or you just want to experience the storylines revealed by completing missions in another nation, you can switch at anytime with no penalty to your accumulated Conquest Points or your Rank in that nation. In fact, you can even collect all three of the Rank 10 furniture rewards, the nation's flag which you can hang on your Mog House wall.

When you decide on a country for your character, an opening sequence will play. After the movie has finished, your character will appear on the street in the country of your allegiance. Your journey has just begun!

= See Also =
 * The 6th Vana'diel Census (06/23/2006) (providing popularity statistics on races, faces, model size, jobs, etc.)
 * Worlds
 * World Pass
 * Gold World Pass
 * World Pass Request
 * Vana'diel Adventurer Recruitment Program