I will advise you to download this software first when you are playing an online game. After many people complain about the lag in FFXIV, I was trying to find something online to correct it (it only lags on my laptop, but not my desktop except in certain areas) and I found this:
http://www.gzero.com/gboost/home.html
It disables all background processes running on your computer (disables Windows Aero, which is good since your graphics card uses that but you graphics card is also needed to render FFXIV or any other games) with one click, and the same click will enable all of your programs once again.
I thoroughly enjoy FFXIV despite all of the negative feedback some of the other users on the forums give it. I have found which area is actually easier to start out in, and that's Limsa Lominsa (I noticed this while doing battle levequests). Second difficulty is Ul'Dah, and higher difficulty is Gridania (my character is from Gridania).
Your character race has no impact on stats, HP, or MP now; it's just for personal tastes. I'm an Elezen (elf, or Elvaan from FFXI) and I transferred my character's name and server name from FFXI to use in this game, hence my username on here is Naraku_Diabolos, as that is what it is on FFXIV.
A good class to start out as is Pugilist (hand to hand combat). All of my classes are going towards Rank 15 now, so once they are even I will raise them some more. However, your character also has a physical level and mine is 27 (I forget lol). Changing between classes is easy; just switch your main held item to become something else; plus each class can use the same armor, but some classes will get more benefits from different equipment. Crafting is also easier, and is manditory as well. There are crafting classes and you need the synthesizing 'item/weapon' to become that class. However, to easily level the crafting is a much easier process than it was in FFXI. You can do crafting quests, and these quests give you the materials to make into an item (you don't get the finish item to keep, but you get skill points and exp for completing a synthesis). The crafting, as I mention is manditory, is needed to also repair weapons and armor (which just require you to have one material in order to repair it, plus you will skill up, too).
There is a thread on FFXIV on the Gaming Discussion part of the forum, but I am the one who has mainly decided to keep it alive with updates.
