At low levels, new players in Final Fantasy XIV must wear gear that doesn’t look very stylish. Additionally, it often has the most inappropriate colors. We explain what you can do about it.
This is the problem: Let’s be honest: at low levels, the player character in FFXIV looks like a clown and it’s not the players’ fault. They try hard to make their character look cool, pretty, or cute in the creator.
However, the developers intended for the gear at low levels, which can be bought from NPCs or received as quest rewards, to always be in the most various colors. Thus, as a newbie at level 10, you might run around in a green helmet, a red top, yellow pants, and shoes.
Even experienced players had to go through this. Of course, one could whip out the wallet and buy stylish outfits in the FFXIV cash shop. But you can beautify yourself without having to spend real money. We have some tips for you on how to give your Warrior of Light some really cool clothes starting at level 15.
Change Color
Here’s how you can dye your items: The option becomes available to you as soon as you reach level 15. Through a quest, you can unlock the option to give your outfits a different color.
You can find the quest at the following location:
- Location: Western Thanalan (X: 12.6 / Y: 14.3). Not far from the entrance to the Sunwind.
- Quest Name: Color Theory
- NPC: Swyrgeim
Players who started their journey in the city of Ul’dah can run straight to the quest NPC in Western Thanalan to unlock the dye option at level 15. Players from Gridania can also do it theoretically, but their route is considerably longer. Players from Limsa Lominsa, on the other hand, must first complete the level 15 main scenario quest “The Voice of the Sea” to travel from the island to other cities.
Once you have unlocked the dye option, you can click on your equipment and see how it will look in different colors.
To dye a piece of equipment, you must have the corresponding dye in your inventory. You can buy them from NPC vendors in the three main cities, at the market board, or craft them yourself if you have the required crafting level and materials. You can also completely remove the dye from your clothes by using Terebinthe Oil.
Projections, also known as Transmog
Many MMORPG players understand “transmog” to be a system that allows them to change the appearance of equipment pieces. In Final Fantasy XIV, it’s called “Projection”. It can also be unlocked at level 15, at the same NPC as dyeing.
- Location: Western Thanalan (X: 12.6 / Y: 14.3). Not far from the entrance to the Sunwind.
- Quest Name: Beautiful Gleam
- NPC: Swyrgeim
This feature allows you to hide the look of undesirable and mismatched armor pieces by “projecting” a different appearance over them. This way, you can create your own cool set combinations early in the game.
Projecting works exclusively with all armor pieces as long as they can be worn by the respective job. For example, you cannot make a White Mage look like a Paladin. This also applies to crafting and gathering classes.
To change the appearance of an armor item, you also need projection prisms, which you can buy from NPCs or at the market board. Alternatively, you can exchange them for state tokens at your state societies. Each projection consumes one prism.
There are also a number of rules that apply when projecting:
- To transform an armor piece into another, you must possess it. This is one of the big differences from WoW’s transmog system. Once you no longer own an armor piece, you can no longer project its appearance onto other items.
- The item level of the projection item must either be equal to or lower than your gear.
- You can dye the projected armor pieces both before and after the projection.
So you don’t always have to carry armor pieces you only use for projecting with you, FFXIV has a projection dresser with 400 additional inventory slots. It is located in the guest rooms of various cities. There you can store all your stuff and also experiment with individual combinations without having to spend prisms for it.
The dresser also allows you to assemble and save up to 15 different sets. This way, you can freely experiment with the items you have and combine them however you want (and as the rules allow).
If needed, they can then be projected onto the current gear immediately, provided all conditions are met (right job, etc.). If you need the items again, you can conveniently take them out of the dresser.
Where to Get Cool Clothes?
What you can get at the market board: The logical place to look for new outfits is, of course, the market board. There you will find many armor pieces at level 1 that are only intended as projection items. The problem, however, is that they are often exorbitantly expensive, especially for a new player starting in FFXIV.
But this won’t last forever. Some of the items have been available for many years and their prices have dropped significantly. So you can safely browse the market board and look for such bargains. In this way, you can already put together some cool projection sets early in the game without having to spend money in the cash shop.
But you can also find pretty armor pieces at other low levels, such as the Allagan armor at level 50. So feel free to browse through the offers and try on anything you like (and can afford).
However, players of the free trial version are denied this option. You cannot interact with the market board.
What you can get in PvP: If you don’t want to spend any Gil at all, you can look around in FFXIV’s PvP. Through daily content as well as normal matches in arenas or battlegrounds, you earn Wolf Marks, which you can exchange for various cosmetic items.
In addition to mounts, companions, and hairstyles, there are also several cool armor sets that you can grab. Many of these sets are also level 1 and can be freely projected and dyed. It also has the positive side effect that by completing PvP content, you gain EXP for your classes and level up while farming.
What you can get from dungeons: In some dungeons, you will also find stylish clothes that often come with good stats for the respective level. For example, there are some nice pieces for mages directly in the first three dungeons, and the different sets from the dungeon Roaring Vox’s Long Rest at level 32 also look good.
You will get a greater selection starting at level 50 when you unlock new dungeons. These also offer different armor sets, some of which look very stylish. To see which dungeons might be interesting for you as projection sources, you can use the Eorzea Collection website. If you go to the menu at the top on “Gearsets”, you can preview all armor sets from FFXIV on male and female characters and find out how to obtain them.
In level 50 dungeons, you can also farm Allagan Poetics, which you can also exchange for gear with the NPC Auriana in Mor Dhona (X: 22.7 / Y: 6.7). This armor not only looks cool but is also some of the best you can have at level 50. So if you want a specific set from a dungeon, you have the positive side effect of farming Allagan stones at the same time.
What do the veteran players think? What are your methods to stay stylish even at low levels? What tips would you give to beginners who want to embark on the path of true endgame right from level 1? Let us know in the comments.
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