Experiencing the story

[Frankopan]

Greetings. I am pretty much a completely new player, I played for a week some 2 years ago but it doesn't really count.

I've started my quest as a completely fresh WHM and I've read quite a bit about how to play, where to grind and such so I am not having much trouble there. Rather , my problem is the direction I want to go. It is not in my interest to get to max level in a week or two, as I am told is possible. I am one of the people who wants to take it slowly, months if need be, I have no problem with that. But the most important thing for me (along with the community) is the story, from the ranking missions, expansions and on and I'd like to do it properly, not hit some uber level and then go back to just breeze through them.

And it is kind a of a weird thing to do. For example, I'm traveling through Ronfaure, La Tienne Plateau or doing the King's tomb mission and while I found it fun, it also feels like being at an archeological site, where everything is near empty but you wonder how these places would have been like with a lot of people grinding, passing and whatnot.

This is where I wonder if it is even possible to do the story of the main game and expansions at this point since I am aware that some of them will require a lot of work and more importantly, more people who are doing them or are interested in doing them. So, as a noob, I am asking you, is it possible to even get through the main story at this stage of the game and what advice would you give me? I'd really like to get a full experience.

Thanks

[Ziyyigo-Tipyigo]

This is where I wonder if it is even possible to do the story of the main game and expansions

Very much so. All expansions and half of the add-ons were written with a level cap of 75 in mind. Additionally, everything is designed (to varying degrees of success) around storyline progression parallel to level progression.

Generally speaking, the missions for individual storylines (or batch of missions in a single rank, for national missions) is aimed to increase in difficulty every ten levels until level 50, and then every 5 levels or so after that. For example, a group of 10's can get through rank 1, a group of 20's can get through rank 2, etc, a group of 55's can get through rank 6...

Worst case scenario, if you can't find someone interested in doing things like that with you, just add another 5-10 levels to have a reasonable chance to solo.

Almost all expansions and mission add-ons are intended to be started at level 30, with the exception of Rise of the Zilart (intended to be started at 55 or so). Again, tack on 5-10 levels if you're looking to solo.

[Corey]

your wanting to experience the story in its original fashion is heartwarming. i, too, yearn for a similar experience with going through the storyline. but found no one else interested in this.

as soon as i would group with people (i.e. form a shaky LS) we'd all get the lvl bug and want to be maxed out. there'd be a few hmm's and haws for doing cop and other storylines. but, what with ADHD rates so prevalent these days, no one was gonna sit through your catching up in the cutscenes. Altana forbid you read them and took your time to be entertained even an iota...!

that being said. as hard as it will be to shake nostalgia, my biggest advice is to swallow pride and get a 99 at least. maybe then someone will think you matter (you do!) and you will be able to experience the game together!

[Rustic]

It's tough, but not insane to do- especially nowadays.

You can beat the Dark Dragon/Seeker fight without even hitting 50 (with a friend, it's doable around 25.). Everything up to that point? Soloable without much leveling at all.

Some jobs are definitely going to be better at it than others, of course- and you'll want your subjob in any case (doable solo in the 30ish range). Take your time. Learn about other jobs and try playing a few. Once you hit 30, there's a lot of job unlocks that come along, and a good number of THOSE are soloable too. Ditto crafting and a good chunk of the quests you find scattered around Vana'diel. Zipping straight to 99 not required.

BST may also be on your "hit list" of things to do. A good BST can go through a lot by themselves, at the speed they want to, especially with jug pets nowadays.