New player getting overwhelmed - what do I do?

[Vivivivi]

I recommend using http://wiki.ffxiclopedia.org/wiki/Category:Missions and get yourself through the main scenario (at least rank 6), and then start working your way through at the very least, Rise of the Zilart.

From there you've got a ton of options available, and access to some relevant end game content (Dynamis).

If you're a storyline purist, and want to experience things in the order they were released, go through:
Chains of Promathia (unlocks more Dynamis areas, Limbus)
Aht Urhgan (unlocks Assaults, Salvage, Einerjar and some other things)
and at least part of the way through Wings of the Goddess (Cait Sith Mission) (unlocks Campaign, Walk of Echoes, portions of Voidwatch)
Abyssea (good place to xp 75+, still has some relevant gear worth getting)
Seekers of Adoulin (unlocks Skirmish, Delve, Wildskeeper Rieves, access to most modern gear)

But my best recommendation, is to enjoy FFXI at your own pace, don't feel rushed to get to end game. Even though it's an old game, it's still a very beautifully crafted game with great characters, music, stories and solid gameplay. Try to find a nice social linkshell who doesn't mind you asking occasional questions or help. You'll learn a lot from them about what you can think about doing to get access to join them for other events.

[bungiefanNA]

This game is about to turn 12, and a lot of the content you mentioned is from years ago. There has never been much of an official information soruce to direct you. We learned about stuff from the patch notes every time they updated the game and from the wikis out there. Catching up on over a decade of content is going to be overwhelming.

Zilart missions and areas came out while the level cap was under 75, so they're built to handle players at level 50+, which was hte original level cap. The main city missiosn were built to be completed by a party at level 50. Promathia came out shortly before they raised the cap to 75, and all expansions afterward are designed for level 75+. Promathia originally had level caps starting at level 30 and going higher as you progressed, but they removed them a few years ago. The add-ons (Crystal, Moogle, Shantotto) are designed to grow with you, early missions being doable at level 20, and final missions requiring a party of 75s, or a well-equipped 99.

http://www.bg-wiki.com/bg/Returning_to_Vana%27diel
and
http://www.reddit.com/r/ffxi/
have some summaries of events from the past and what the point of doing them is. Missions are for doing the storyline, as well as a few quest chains.

Rewards from the add-ons are various augmented items from early missions, and the final one is a piece of 75 equipment with 3 augments of your choice, which were pretty good at the time they came out, and look like equipment from Final Fantasy III's jobs.

You need Sneak/Invis to survive in WotG areas until you are 99 or so, as all the zones mix monsters that are level 10-85 or so. Beastmen are almost all high-level in those zones. You should never be exploring on a low level job without having a source of sneak/invis, and knowing about truesight/truesound enemies.

FFXI is from a time that MMOs were geared to have the players provide each other with information. SE has never documented it well for the public, outside of the Ultimania guides in Japan. Stuff also contantly changes, and a guide would be hard to keep up-to-date without resorting to a wiki, run by the community, which is what we have (3 major wikis actually, BlueGartr, Wikia, and GamerEscape).

It sounds like you're at too low of a level to worry about most of the events. Your first goal should be to get to 99, since it takes so little time. Worrying about level appropriate armor, when you level past it within an hour, is a waste. AF used to be relavent, but now only is when you upgrade it to level 119 via Adoulin. Once you are 99, you can start any of the content you want, for any equipment you want, and by then you should have enough sparks to buy a full set of level 117 armor and weapons from Records of Eminence to start anything you want, including the current endgame, Delve.

The best thing to do after leveling is to pick one event and study it. Try it out a bit, see if you like it. Then try something else. Don't try to look at the big picture all at once.

Unlocking all your summons requires progress in Chains of Promathia and full completion of Aht Urhgan. The core ones are enough, and Fenrir just requires beating all the core summons a second time, then facing Fenrir.

[Alhanelem]

-I found some random stones called Evoliths. There is no description as to what these are for. I look it up, it's for something called Synergy I guess? I have no idea what this is for, it looks complicated.

Evoliths are for old gear that nobody makes anymore. The best thing you can do with them is give them to NPCs at the regional outposts. They will mention they deal in evoliths, so just trade them to these NPCs.

Completely avoid:
1. Ballista
2. Brenner
3. Pankration
4. Expeditionary Force/Garrison

Uhm, no, he should not completely avoid these things. Well the first three anyway. If you can find anyone to do them with they're all fun side-diversions.

Crevox, this game was created in a day and age where MMOs did not hold your hand at all, they were about exploring and solving riddles as much as they were about killing things and getting rewards. FFXI threw storylines into this mix as its main claim to fame. A lot of the things you accidentally ran into were opening cutscenes for side story lines, and it's the main reason those contents exist. It's true that it can be frustrating and cryptic at times, but it does also add positive elements to the experience that you just can't find in newer games today. Even though FFXIV is my main game pretty much now, I keep finding myself drawn back to this game for periods of time just because of the things that it does different from every game out there.

[Crevox]

Should I be doing my artifact armor quests?

[Demonjustin]

Yes, when you get to that level do them.

[sc4500]

Just unlocked BST and Dnc and can do everything need to solo. Then if realized how outdated it is . Then well it is a 11year old game. Sucks but the truth. Moment See a modern mmo like . OMG . FFXI pave the way and rest of the world grew up and learn of the errors and there success and FFXI is now trying to catch up.

[bungiefanNA]

Should I be doing my artifact armor quests?

They are marginally useful at level 50 or so, while you are at that level. You will level out of them pretty quickly. The main reasons to do them are for the backstory on the jobs, and to have them to upgrade to level 109 and 119 in Adoulin. Some monsters you need to fight were meant for a party at level 50 to be fighting them, so soloing may or may not be possible at those levels with Trust. It would be much faster to just go and get them when you are level 99. Buy armor off the AH when you need new armor, and just get to 99 to start doing the content you want.

You're mainly going to be storing the armor with a porter moogle until you are ready to upgrade it. Even Relic armor is outdated (alternate colored AF-type armor from Dynamis) as that was for level 75 or so, before the third expansion. The Empyrean armor from Abyssea (AF-type armor for about level 90) is also mostly outdated. They will likely upgrade them to level 119 in the coming months, but for now, until you are 99, that equipment doesn't matter much.

[Vivivivi]

Should I be doing my artifact armor quests?

As bungiefanNA mentioned, some of it is marginally useful from the level you can equip it through about level 75, and again at level 99 when you can reforge it.

If you're really into the storyline, I highly recommend doing the artifact quests just for that alone. Many of the AF story lines are really great.

[Zeargi]

As bungiefanNA mentioned, some of it is marginally useful from the level you can equip it through about level 75, and again at level 99 when you can reforge it.

If you're really into the storyline, I highly recommend doing the artifact quests just for that alone. Many of the AF story lines are really great.

As well as many of them link things throughout the main story too, certain things you'd otherwise miss

[Crevox]

I just did the Windurst Mission 2-1. They really expect you to make your way through a 70-80 monster area at such a low level? I had invisible and sneak, so I had no issue, but seriously? Am I missing something about this quest or was it really intended to be that difficult?

I can't say I would be too surprised, but... I'm surprised after all these years something like this wasn't toned down.

Also, I tried the level 40 summoner quest, but it has you fight a level 56 monster. I got it to about half HP and then died; I might've been able to pull it off, but only because I'm level 51. I was trying to be very conservative and wasn't sure how much damage Astral Flow would do, and wasn't entirely prepared for not being able to use my Trust NPCs at all (would've been much easier with Yagudo Drinks and stuff). I ended up dying before popping Astral Flow at all. If I went back and tried again, I could probably do it (knowing the fight and planning a bit better), but it wouldn't be worth it for that +20 MP staff, and I imagine the next fight is even harder.

It definitely seems like you shouldn't try to do the quests, at least alone, as they come to you. If I tried this quest at level 40, I would've stood no chance.