How far can a casual go?

You don't need voice chat for anything in this game, most people that totally insist it is necessary guyz mostly need it as a safety blanket.

All the situations you need to communicate for in this game can be handled with macros with sound effects or personal awareness.

I only really joined a progressing FC within the last week - and I had gotten up to Binding Coil Turn 4 on my own. Mostly through DF or PF, no voice chat. It just takes a lot longer.

For instance, I was joining PF group for Titan HM to get my WHM relic for about 2 weeks, several hours a night, almost every night, before I got in a group that could actually beat it. If you're playing casually, that could stretch into months if you're unlucky. But that's really the ONLY fight in the game so far that is horribly difficult without a FC.

With PUG:

All primals daily, up to T3 weekly (working on T4 phase 6), havent tried em primals

"How far can a casual go?"

How big is his/her wallet? (kidding)

While Titan HM will definitely trip you up in a DF group, a PF group can work for a casual player. Two reasons for this:

1) A PF group isn't forced into having an unneeded second tank for the trial, and therefore gets the benefit of an added DPS.

2) You're forming up and able to communicate with everyone before jumping in. Also, the PF will let you know the tone set for that particular group before you join. I've seen a few "Newcomer's Welcome/Slow and Easy" groups for Titan HM.

Is there a reason not to be in an FC? No VoIP and DF only I can understand, but all that aside, being in an FC helps casuals.
Reason? FC buffs are purely beneficial.

As a casual, you should look to join an Fc. If you don't want to talk to anyone in the Fc, ok- just filter them out so you don't see their chat. (I personally love FC/LS chat, but to each his own).

Anyway, with that aside, most casual players with no VoIP that I have met, have relic and turns 1 and 2 on farm. I'm guessing they are farther then that, but since they are casual, I don't see them on often

I have pugged T5. So using party finder certainly makes all the content accessible.

FCs have too much drama, which is why not everyone wants to join, even for buffs.

I got through Garuda EM on DF, but it wasn't fun anymore starting with Titan HM due to the high failure rate combined with the high amount of raging and quitting on first wipe.

I agree with others that PFs help increase what you can do without an FC, although you have to look a bit (or make your own group) to find one that isn't "i90 required for Sastasha, experienced only, no melee".

Short answer: you can do all the content (use PF more then DF tho)

I have pugged everything except T5.