I completely agree with what Zachery has said. The dynamics of the game HAVE totally changed. I've begun writing a little guide to help those players who are new/returning understand the "new" FFXI. Since you already have some knowledge about how the old game is played the transition won't be too bad. The main thing until you can do Abyssea is doing Grounds Tome parties because as you complete pages you get added bonuses to you such as Extra WS Damage or Increased skill gain rate along with stacking EXP. Your first page might only be 1500XP but as you keep doing them, the total XP you get will increase to around 2500-3000 XP. This is kind of the new dynamics of the game. It's really quite easy and not so much of a grind anymore. However, remember with Level Synch your skills don't go up if your level is above the synch so that can pose a problem especially for mages. But you can spend time skilling up later. I hope that helps. The guide I'm writing is in this section of the forums so keep an eye if you have any more questions.