Startup Guide

Welcome to Caldera!

This is a guide to help you get started with the basics of our server. We strive to ensure retail like mechanics. Though our drop rates, locations, and monster difficultly is typically customized. Players should also reference the ***Good to know*** page.

Standalone Launcher

• If you are ok with using Ashita V4, We have created a Launcher preloaded with marked maps and version locked to January 2025 to prevent Limbus issues with current retail.
• This will not work with Ashita V3 or Windower. If you would like to use either of those, you will need to skip down to the Full Start-Up Guide section below.

Installing the files

• First download the Launcher HERE
• Once you have downloaded, extract the folder to your desktop.
• Click the "Caldera Launcher.bat" file, create an account, and enjoy!

Changing the settings

• There is an instructions.txt file that will show you how to adjust resolution and set up auto login in the main folder.
• If you plan to dual box, you'll need to launch three different times for each account.
  • I would suggest setting up a boot file for each character by copying the Caldera.ini boot file.
  • Go to "Caldera_Launcher/config/boot/" folder duplicate the Caldera.ini 3 times and set the login accounts and passwords differently for each.
  • you will launch those individually and ignore the .bat file in the main folder or make your own .bat for each boot file if you wish.

Full Start-Up Guide (for Widower and Ashita V3)

Installing FFXI

• Visit the official Final Fantasy XI Installation download site below and follow the installation instructions on that page.
  • FINAL FANTASY XI Official Web Site (playonline.com)

Updating Your Files

Download January 2025 Patch

• Download the .zip file found Here
• Extract all files into your FINAL FANTASY XI installation folder
• Overwrite all files
• Download your choice of Ashita or Windower and follow that setup guide to finish setup

Connection Information

Gateway: --server ffxicaldera.myddns.me --hairpin
IP Address: --server 71.56.194.188 --hairpin

If you experience connection issues with the Gateway please try the below options:
Option 1 - When connecting it may not be necessary to have the --hairpin portion of the server address. Remove --hairpin from the Gateway address inside Ashita/Windower, save the updates, and try logging in.
Option 2 - European players may have issues with the Gateway not connecting at all. In this case, please use the IP Address provided above. The --hairpin may or may not be needed based on your location.

Ashita Guide

For Ashita connection please see the below image.

Optional: set up auto-login
Sick of always typing in your login info? Follow these steps after creating your log-in account.

• Click the Pencil again for your Caldera configuration within Ashita.
  • If you have multiple characters, we recommend renaming the configuration to include that character name for each. You must make a configuration for each character.
• In the Command field, add a space after --server ffxicaldera.myddns.me
• Type --user username --pass password
  • Replace "username" with your username.
  • Replace "password" with your password.
• After you type your password add in the --hairpin
• Press OK to save the changes.
• Click the chain icon to create a shortcut to this login.

From that point on, using the desktop shortcut or this configuration will automatically log you into the game.

This can be done for multiple profiles/characters/logins. Just create a new profile/shortcut for each and enter the corresponding username/password.

Windower Guide

• Download Xiloader
  • Copy and Paste the xiloader.exe to C:\Program Files (x86)\PlayOnline\SquareEnix\PlayOnlineViewer

Download and extract Windower (stable release) to the folder of your choice. (example: Desktop\Windower4) If you download/extract to where you installed Final Fantasy, you'll have issues editing configuration files in the future.

Double clicking the Windower.exe file will extract numerous folders and update itself.

• Create and name a profile once Windower opens. You'll need this Profile Name later on in these instructions.
• Highlight the new profile, and click on the pencil icon to adjust your desired settings.
• Click the pin icon ("Pin to Desktop") to create a desktop shortcut.
• Exit Windower.

• Navigate to your settings.xml file in your Windower folder, go down to the profile section and enter <args>--server ffxicaldera.myddns.me --hairpin</args> and on the line beneath enter: <executable>xiloader.exe</executable>
  .
  Save this and launch Windower. This should bring up the black XIloader screen.

• To log in, type 1 and then type the username and password of your choice.

• Once you log in, Final Fantasy will start and you can create your character, choose your starting town, and get playing!
• To save your password for future logins, add the bold text to the end of your argument line: --user YOURUSERNAME --pass YOURPASSWORD

If you have issues: Set Pol.exe and xiloader.exe to run as administrator by right-clicking on them and going Properties, opening the Compatibility tab and clicking the Run as Administrator checkbox at the bottom of the window.

Commands

!help: Displays all available player commands.
!rankup: This will set your nation rank to 10. This is more or less a requirement, as mission battlefields have been repurposed and dev staff will devote minimal effort to troubleshooting mission issues.
!givepearl NAME: Adds a blank linkpearl to the player's inventory that will activate as the server linkshell once the player zones.
!regen: Applies a 3 HP/MP per tick Regen and Refresh. This command is usable levels 1-98.
!shop: Lists the global NPC shops. Typing !shop and the number will open that specific shop i.e. !shop 1 for food.
!check: Prints a targeted monster's level and stats to the player.
!stats: Prints the player's stats to the player.
!ah: Opens the auction house from anywhere. Caldera AH does not buy your items, or restock itself. It is exclusively player filled.

Travel
!expcamp: Teleports players to a staff selected EXP camp based on your level.
!home/warp: Returns the player to their homepoint.
!rezone: A player at full HP may use rezone to teleport back to their current location. This typically helps with getting stuck.
!holla/dem/mea: Teleports players to the initial 3 crags. Unlocked at start.
!altep/yhoat/vahzl: Teleports players to the 3 higher level crags, but requires the player to have the "gate crystal" Key Item for each crag.
!addhomepoints: Unlocks all homepoints for the player.
!beach: Teleports players to the Feretory zone, commonly used as a bazaar.
!library: Teleports the player to the Library, full of several useful NPCs.

Once you are in the library, look for the Institutions bookshelf just to the right of Andreine. Clicking on the bookshelf will unlock all of your spells/rolls/summons/etc, cap all of your combat and magic skills, unlock all available trusts (You can summon 3 trusts initially. See Trust Magic for information on unlocking the 4th and 5th Trust slots), and complete and give you full access to all Rise of Zilart (Sky) and Chains of Promathia (Sea) content.

Outpost teleport NPC's can be found near the Mog Houses in Bastok Mines, Port Windurst, and North San d'Oria.

Basic things you want to know.

• You are allowed a maximum of 3 characters and a fourth bazaar character (your fourth character is restricted to the !beach area).

• You will be allowed to use add-ons like multisend for controlling them and the use of Cure Please program is advised.

• Here is a link for Cure Please https://github.com/DanielHazzard/Cure-Please/releases. To get CurePlease working on Caldera, you will need to grab the API files located in the discord. Multisend comes with the Ashita Launcher.

• Experience points are 3.5x Retail, and running speed is 2x retail's normal speed. Leveling will be fast and furious.

• Please check the server rules tab to understand the basics of what's allowed and what's not allowed.

Starting out and buying gear.

• You will get all 3 city rings.
• You will get a Kupofried's Ring which doubles your experience points gained. It has 11 charges and can be re-charged at the !library Institution bookshelf for 1,500 conquest points (remember to get Signet from a nation gate guard or use the !signet command).
• You will get a Destrier Beret and Chocobo Shirt. These 2 items have a set effect of +50 STR and +15 INT beginning at level 1 and the bonus decays as you level up.
  
• Weapons and armor can be purchased from Andreine in the !library.
  
• Food can be purchased from !shop 1.
  
• Artifact armor may be claimed for free from the Personages bookshelf in !library once you hit level 50.
  
• Players can also purchase non-item level sparks equipment from NPC's in all home nations if they have unlocked Records of Eminence (RoE) quests.

Beginner's Leveling guide!

New players should take a moment to familiarize themselves with:
Fields of Valor
Grounds of Valor
Records of Eminence

As these allow players to gain additional experience, gil, and currency used for buffs and gear. It should be noted that Caldera tomes rewards are enhanced.
There is an RoE challenge in which you get 5,000 exp for every 5,000 exp you gain, essentially the leveling rate. It happens for 4 hours 3 times a week, Monday 11pm EST, Wednesday 3pm EST and Sunday 7am EST.
Players should recall trusts every few levels, as trusts do not level up when you do. Only when summoned.
Records of Eminence does not function completely on Caldera, but it is functional enough to start the quest and begin accruing sparks.

Level 1 to 18

Players will want to equip their Destrier Beret and Chocobo shirt and start walking to either Maze of Shakhrami or Gusgen Mines, killing everything along their way that is not a notorious monster. By the time you reach either zone, you should be sufficiently leveled to enter.

Level 14 to 35

Players who choose to go to Gusgen Mines can grab page 1 and begin killing skeletons.

• Start with Skeleton Warriors (blue area) around levels 14-16.
• Move to Ghouls (orange area) on the first map around levels 22-25.
• Move to Wights and Ghasts (green area) on the third map (F/G-7 to F/G-8) around level 35.
  • Follow the black arrow from Map 1, through Map 2, to Map 3 to reach this area.
  • Don't forget to grab Sneak & Invisible (Circumspection) from the book before you move!

This allows you to stay on a singular page to 35 (Map 1/Bottom of the above map) and has the potential to take a player to level ~50 (Map 3/Top of the map).

Players who choose to go to Maze of Shakhrami will start one page 1 in the first room, transitioning to page 5 around level 25 and monsters around H-8 of the first map. This will also take you to level 35.

Level 35 to 55

Crawler's Nest. Start on page 1 and farm around the first two rooms. Players need to be careful of death jacket final sting. Switch to page 4 and continue farming until capping out around level 60 if you choose.

Level 50 to 75

Make sure to grab artifact armor and a good weapon before coming in. This is a long zone.

Bostaunieux Oubliette. Beginning on page 2 right as you drop in. Farm these spawns until about level 69 then switch to page 4 until you hit 75.

Level 73 to 99

Promyvion. This last stretch has no pages or books. Monsters in this zone give triple EXP, but avoid anything Apex.

There are two options. Players can !cap and farm the first floor indefinitely to level 99.
OR
Players can farm the first floor to level 90, the second floor to 97, and finish to 99 on floor 3.