Altepa v. GarlaigeFollow

If you are in to trains every two seconds and dying when those trains run over your party, then by all means go to Garlaige =)

I like both, but I'm probably one of the few who would say that about Garlaige.

The problem with Garlaige is that you really need a good puller to be able to survive and chain successfully; not only that, but you have to hope the surrounding parties also have good pullers, because everything links there. Altepa, on the other hand, is wide open (as opposed to the tunnels of the citadel), allowing groups to spread out from each other so as not to compete with one another. The mobs are also more spread out, so links are less of a problem. Both have campsites for a huge level range, but Altepa's are easier to get too, IMO.

IMO, both have their uses. Altepa is great when you have plenty of time to spare, and you're willing to build a PT in Jeuno to head there (pickup parties there are nonexistant). Garlaige is where to go if you have two to three hours to spend and don't want to spend all that time building a PT and heading to Altepa.

Also of note - the drops you get in Altepa are more valuable than those found in Garlaige. Also, if your XP in East Altepa starts to dry out, head to West Altepa and pick it right back up ^^.

A great party in Altep will get you some of the best XP/hour at that level.

We got 34-47 in about 2 1/4 hours. Got my WAR to 75 SUB level and I was happy.

Well, the fact that you actually have to go out of your way and do something--no matter how trivial--to gain access to Altepa is always going to be a deterrent to some people. And then, there's also the people who don't want to bring Scroll of Instant Warp or Warp Cudgel, and just prefer to fight in an area one zone away from jeuno, where they can run back to the city after fighting...

Not to mention the people who like to just sit in the exp zone with the flag up, or the fact that people would think it easier to get a replacement to come to a close zone (Garlaige) as opposed to somewhere far away (Altepa).

And then of course there's the whole "herd mentality". But don't be fooled--Altepa rocks! ^^


(admittedly, though, there have been times when Altepa has been crowded, too. it's just not as bad when it does fill up, imo)

All I can say is... O.O



Ya luckily a LS member took me through krokoloka-whatever tunnel, led me to the GC, and got me to Rabao.



So true ^^b

Again, I've never been to Garlaige, heck I don't even know where it is lol. Sounds pretty scarey though.

he meant 37, btw.... which is of course still very impressive--on the order of 8.4k an hour (what was your party and what were you fighting? o.o)--but i just wanted to point out that, while Altepa is great, it won't let you get 13 levels in a few hours. ^^

Take the time to go to Altepa to at least get the teleport crystal, it'll be worthwhile in the long run. EXP there is great, and you don't have to worry about trains. I leveled from either 30-32 or 32-35 with my THF job there. It's been so long i can't remember. It's easy to avoid aggro there too, it's pretty wide open in Altepa.

Garliage is great too, if you are smart about you're camp spot and avoiding trains. Someone that knows how to pull is a must too. If you're not careful you can end up with some very nasty, zone clearing trains. I have to admit that some of the trains i saw were pretty humorous, in a twisted kind of way. Depending on your camp spot you can keep exping while the train passes you by.

So pick your poison, both places have their pro's and cons's. Good luck to you.

lol yes its a typo I didn't see. (was about 1.5k to 35 when we started ended about 2k into 37)

WAR/NIN, RDM/BLM, WHM/SMN, RNG/NIN, BLM/WHM and BRD/WHM

Fighting beetles/dhalmels with no downtime. XP was close to 7-8k/hour and was spectacular to say the least.

Defense down? {Erase}{You can have this.} ^^



Reaperttk: sounds awesome! I was impressed with the 5ish-k i got there as a blm, but that's insane!

Edited, Tue Mar 22 01:26:58 2005 by Shintaku

Garlaige Citadel is a hellhole. Others have already pointed out the problems with this zone.

So why is it so popular? Probably because everybody thinks that that's where you're "supposed to go" when you hit level 32 or so. Never mind the fact that Vana'diel is a huge world with lots of areas full of mobs of varying difficulty, and that at any given level there are plenty of places to level efficiently. No, you're "supposed to go" to Garlaige, and if you don't, then you're offending the Brady Strategy Guide gods. This is why everybody thinks that they need to go to the Valkurm Dunes at level 10 (a horrible idea) and why EXP heavens like the Maze of Shakhrami are now virtually empty.

There are entire zones that used to be used by EXP parties that are now basically just nuisance areas that you have to run through on your way to Valkurm or Garlaige or the Crawler's Nest. Anybody who's ever leveled off of Zus in the Buburimu Peninsula knows that there's great EXP to be had there, but very few people are willing to try anymore. Buburimu used to be "the Windy Dunes"; parties would fight the crabs and pugs there just like they would in Valkurm. Not any more, though. They go to Valkurm, because that's where they're "supposed to go."

If you haven't seen this, here's a great MysteryTour link that shows all sorts of zones and mobs that can be used at various levels:

FFXI Leveling Locations

If you can put together a party of people willing to try out a new spot, the results will be well worth it. Not only will the EXP be better (better camps and less competition for mobs) but the drops will likely be better as well. My last mid-40s job had a party that I took to the Labyrinth of Onzozo to fight the Tier V gobs near the entrance. All those Absorb scrolls and fire crystals were worth a hell of a lot more than the earth crystals that drop off of Soldier Crawlers in the Nest.

You've seen the light. You know how well "alternative" leveling locations can work out. The hard part is convincing the rest of your party. When my BLM was in the mid-30s I suggested that we go to Behemoth's Dominion and fight Gaylas, and the rest of the party reacted as if I had suggested we dip toddlers in boiling animal fat. Sometimes it's going to be a losing proposition. Other times, you'll get people with enough of a sense of adventure (really what this game is supposed to be about!) to try something new, go someplace they've never seen before, and EXP off of mobs that they've never fought before.

These parties generally yield more EXP and lucrative items, but the big thing for me is that they're usually just more fun and rewarding. That's the payoff. It's why I play this game. It beats spending days on end in the Crawler's Nest. You won't always be able to convince people to do it, but that doesn't mean that you shouldn't at least try.

I would definitely choose Altepa any day over Garlaige. Why? Personal experience.

Though I didn't go to Garlaige (one time only) until I was 45 on my Whm(when you drop down the hole), I can still remember the party that argued back and forth with the one I was in, then endless 'oops link's, and that one time when everyone two houred in a desperate attempt to survive...but failed in the end =(

However; with Altepa I went there at 30 and got a party no problem. Went up to 36 there then hit Crawler's Nest until level 39...and then it was off to Gustav Tunnel till 41 and then back to beautiful sunny Altepa and Quicksand Caves.

It is true that there are people that don't have the Altepa Teleport Crystal, which is definitely sad. Especially that one time when we linked two beetles at Revelation Rock, I cast teleport Altepa and the blm who didn't have enough mp to cast escape and DIDN'T have Altepa threw a 'sleep' and ran on foot for his life while the rest of us disappeared. O.o

Yup, definite advantages to having the crystal. ^ ^

But in the end, chalk it up to personal experience. And all of mine in Altepa have certainly been interesting =)

Anyone ever party in Garlaige when it's empty? I have. It's awesome exp.

Now to find a time when it's empty....

Main problem everyone has mentioned here is that there are too many trains from other players, right? Well, if you're puller is good (Thus meaning you don't have to zone), and the zone is mostly empty (Meaning that mobs are respawning fast enough to handle your party), Garlaige is an exp gift, and it's easy to see why everyone goes. It's the same with a LOT of exp zones everyone dreads, like the Jungles. This pattern persists through a LOT of zones, like Kuftal, or the Boyahda Tree. When they're empty, or near it, it's VERY easy to see why everyone goes. However, they're usually not. They're usually chock full, which leads a lot of people to question "Why in God's Name am I coming here? Zone X is better exp." Answer: It's not, in theory, but it's likely not as camped.

Edited, Tue Mar 22 04:34:28 2005 by HunterShu