FFXI Soloing Archives

This guide will tell you how to obtain Zeni in order to purchase the pop items for the ZNMs.

1. Unlock ZNMs
Unlocking the ZNMs “quest” is pretty simple. It’s not a quest but it will enable you to start trading plates in. Head to Whitegate, E-8 and you will find a pair of NPCs standing there. You can tell it’s them simply by the large amount of people that are probably gathered there.

Talk to Sanraku first, who will give you an explaination, then talk to Ryo. Upon doing that, Ryo will give you a choice of selections from a menu. The most important thing here is “Sanraku’s Subject of Interest” and “Recommended Fauna”. The former basically tells you the family of monsters that Sanraku is interested in. 9 times out of 10 this is what you’ll be snapping. The latter tells you of a specific monster, typically a NM (but it’s not named) from a specific zone, which will probably be out of reach for you. For example, it could ask for a behemoth type monster from the Assault Area, Nyzul Isle.

Anyway, that’s the first part done. Please note that the interest CAN change, and if you arrive back with the subject already changed, it doesn’t matter too much, you can either hang on to your plates or trade them in for small amounts of zeni. Typically if you hand in the right pictures according to interest, you can earn between 50~90 zeni.

2. Film, Camera, SNAP!
Time for you to find film (plates), a camera (snapshotter) and to get snapping. If you don’t do “Panktration” continue reading, otherwise hop to the next step. Buy an Imperial Gold Piece and zone into The Pit at K-11.

The moment you enter, there’s a NPC to your left called Zandjarl. Talk to him to open up the “Jetton” currency. Jettons are the currency used in Panktration battles for entering/winning fights. You are NOT required to do Panktration to earn Jettons. This is why I asked you to bring an Imperial Gold Piece. You can exchange the Imperial Currency for Jettons. The exchange rate is as follows:

• 1 Imperial Bronze Piece = 1 Jetton
• 1 Imperial Silver Piece = 10 Jettons
• 1 Imperial Mythril Piece = 30 Jettons
• 1 Imperial Gold Piece = 200 Jettons

200 Jettons will last you a while. Talk to the NPC again and say you want to browse his wares, then go under the “2 Jetton Items” and buy a Soultrapper and 12 plates. This will cost you 4 Jettons. If you’re an impatient or rich type, you can buy a highspeed Soultrapper (Soultrapper 2000) for 500 jettons, which has 48 charges on it compared to 12 on the normal equivalent. The difference is obviously the amount of charges (snaps) you can do, but also the reuse time. The high quality one has a 30 second reuse timer compared to the 60 second timer on the low quality one.

What you wish to do is up to you. I am content with the cheap stuff personally. Get your camera and plates, and then head out.

3. Snap. Snap. Snap. Snap. Snap.
Time to head out into the field. To get the most Zeni per picture, you have to make sure that:

1. Your target is near death (typically @ 1% HP)
2. It is of a high level (60+) (Unconfirmed)

The best way to do it is with someone who can tank and damage and another person to cure and sleep. Get the monster down as much as you can, sleep it, and snap away. Take 10 photos and then run back to Whitegate.

4. Zeni!
Trade your plates back to Sanraku and he will comment on them. There are 3 tiers of comments and each of them will determine your Zeni reward:

• 1-32 : Hmmm… Surely you can do better than this, my friend. But I will accept it nevertheless.
• 33-65 : A fine piece of photography ! You have my thanks !
• 66-(at least 99) : Magnificient ! Truly a triumph in photography !

You’ll typically get higher amounts of the subject of interest remains the same. If it by chance changes then you’ll recieve less Zeni, but some nonetheless. Make sure to do it quick to lessen the chance of the subject changing.

NOTE: I gotten 32~34 zeni each for my bat photos. I’m not sure why it was so less, but they were only level 60 odd, even though the subject of interest was correct. It all seems a little random.

5. Repeat & Notes
You can only hand in 10 photos per Vanadiel Day. Anymore will be rejected. If you take the time to do this each day just for maybe 30 minutes you should rack up Zeni fairly quickly.