Is it just me, or is ShB quest exp really under-tuned?

I was 80 by the time I was doing Lv76 MSQ. I did 6 FATEs in each zone, every sidequest as they came up, and some roulettes. If you're starved for EXP, then you're the one starving yourself.

I only did the MSQ so far, doing a few FATEs while exploring the map and ran the first 2 dungeons 2 time and I'm at MSQ level 75 and now one level ahead. So I don't think it's undertuned if you do more regular activities.

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Originally Posted by Relisa

So, as the title states, it seems to be really under-tuned compared to previous expansions. Where in, you could complete all the side quests + main quests and still level properly to continue main story line without having to do a roulette. I don't even remember having to do a roulette in SB or HW to continue the main story upon each of their initial releases.

This does not appear to be the case in some areas in ShB. As an example I just finished completing the quests in the left half of Rak'tika + 12 fates and it still isn't enough to finish the level to continue main story. I am at 17,835,584 of 19,750,000 exp.

Thoughts or similar experiences?

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I guess you are unaware of how much XP you get from leveling, alliance and msq roulette. I hit an msq wall a single time in the run to 80. It only happened because I ran the story dungeon 1x during that stretch. If you don't want to run the roulettes grab your trusts and run the latest dungeon a couple times. Done.

In my experience the side quests never really gave all that much experience. The main quests don't seem to be giving much, proportionally to other expansions, though. However, simply doing your roulettes every day will reward a significant chunk of experience.

I was thinking the same thing, OP. Even without sidequests, I thought the exp from MSQ quests were more substantial in previous expansions.

I mean I am currently 77 and in the 72 MSQ right now. I honestly feel with all the XP opportunities available, it's easier than ever before to gain experience.

Experience is certainly significantly less than it was in the previous patches.

I'm lvl 78 and once again I am locked out of MSQ, 17m exp out of 32m.

I was locked out at level 73, 77, and now 79. I've been donig my roulettes on a daily basis and yet, I don't have the exp necessary to continue the story. Not to mention that once I get level 79, I will be yet again locked out of MSQ when the quest becomes level 80 and I have to wait for the daily reset in order to be able to get level 80 and finish the story.

I have mainly been doing MSQ and fates + dungeons of course and it has been slow.
Have been keeping sidequests (minus the ones for currents) for other jobs to level

I don't know where people seem to be of the mind that we were able to level just through MSQ during HW and SB. It's never been that way for me. People hated leveling in the Dravanian Forelands because of the moogle sidequests (jokes on me for having used dungeons to level because then I needed them for beast quests...) I had to do roulettes to supplement my leveling during SB.

I only really do aethercurrent sidequests but this time I did make sure I detoured to do 2 of the "cutscene available" sidequests and at least 6 fates in each area. I'm about to hit the last area at about 50% to lvl 80 and rested experience up to 80% to lvl 80 with grade 3 FC buffs and food.

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Originally Posted by Barraind

Its pretty bad.

MSQ + every side quest in an area is somewhere between 50 and 60% of a level.

You either have to spam fates or dungeons to get through the msq, something I think I had to do twice in stormblood.

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Uh... what? I have done 0 side quests with the exception of the current quests and have had 0 issue with level blocks.

At most i might need to do a single level roulette so i call bull on your statement. Sounds like exaggeration.

I agree it is very slow, I have to spam dungeons just to make sure I am high enough to do the MSQ. I thought side quests were going to grant a lot of exp, just from how they made it sound on the streams but if you're leveling from questing it's only like half as much exp as you need, so then you need to do a lot of FATE's or dungeons to make up the rest. It feels weird and messes up the flow, SB & HW were tuned way better iirc.

Seems ok to me so far. I've leveling two jobs at once in tandem. I did 1 roulette on each job, main story on one job, sidequests on another, a few fates in each zone since I was walking around the map anyway. Both jobs are above MSQ. I'm not super deep into it yet though, so we shall see.

I haven't had trouble, but I have rest exp. Also I have been farming dungeons for gear and saving coffers for my other job.

Definitely not. I did every single sidequests I came across and a few fates here and there. I was level 80 before I even got to the level 78 area.

The only point I thought was a bit absurd was when I had to run a dungeon to do the level 73 dungeon unlock quest as it was the first 73 quest lol. I had to run a dungeon to run another dungeon lol. Been stopping to do fates here and there when I see people running them along the way as well. Had to run an extra dungeon(s) two times so far to hit 73 then to hit 74.

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Originally Posted by MOZZYSTAR

I was thinking the same thing, OP. Even without sidequests, I thought the exp from MSQ quests were more substantial in previous expansions.

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Leveling an alt through the story a few months ago, I had to do exactly 14 side quests in stormblood (that weren't part of flying unlocks) and ran each dungeon once, with 3 total roulettes (I did it in just under 2 days, and only did a roulette when I was stuck at level to not have to do sidequests).

For shadowbringers, I had to do 3 runs of every dungeon, 12-15 fates per zone (was kind of useless in 2 of them as I had flying before mount speed bonuses) and sidequests in all but 2 hubs to keep on pace with the msq.

That's with full rested xp (lasted me through 80 and 78 of a gatherer), 100% food uptime and 15% xp buffs.

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Originally Posted by Barraind

Leveling an alt through the story a few months ago, I had to do exactly 14 side quests in stormblood (that weren't part of flying unlocks) and ran each dungeon once, with 3 total roulettes (I did it in just under 2 days, and only did a roulette when I was stuck at level to not have to do sidequests).

For shadowbringers, I had to do 3 runs of every dungeon, 12-15 fates per zone (was kind of useless in 2 of them as I had flying before mount speed bonuses) and sidequests in all but 2 hubs to keep on pace with the msq.

That's with full rested xp (lasted me through 80 and 78 of a gatherer), 100% food uptime and 15% xp buffs.

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That's bizarre. I did all the side quests, really only 6 fates per zone, 11 in 1 just for fun, not exp. Only ran the dungeons once. Did a trial and normal raid roulette with friends once, and only hit a lvl block 4 and a half mil from 80.

I skipped every sidequest, only did the MSQ and the aether current quests and was level gated like 4 times. XD Though each time I was only a few levels away so Went and did the Role quests as well as hunts and spamed fates. I wanted to make sure to get all the Riding maps and rank 2 in all 6 Zones. Only one level gate quest was a pain and that was the lv79 one. At that point I still need well over 20mil exp to get to 79, one of a few times I actually ran a few dungeons to push forward.

The MSQ on each area always let me like 50/55% for next level, Then i do the most high dungeon i can one time, fates e just some sides and i level up. No problem at all, im 78 atm

Going in with full rested Exp, Tier 2 of the FC buff and the earring to throw on in sub-71 content I always was at least 1.5 levels ahead of the requirement for my current MSQ. Aside from the MSQ this includes daily roulettes, two completions of the weekly agenda's PvE part, 6 FATEs per region, all the +Quests, the role questline for melee DPS, full map exploration and one set each of the rank 1 and 2 hunt bills.
The only normal sidequest I've done so far was one for the i415 ring coffer.

My next two jobs are likely going to level through Trust dungeon runs since I need to level my NPCs and then I'll see about leveling a job through all those sidequests.

I havent had any issue,personally i just did every single side quest i had in my way aside from 20-30 FATEs on each area so i never got level locked.
I only stopped doing side quests when i reached the tempest as i was already 80. Maybe you should mix in some side quests and roulettes/fates.

I've done MSQ, Aether Current quests, Fates and Hunts. I still bonked the level cap quite a few times and had to throw in a fair bunch of roulettes to make sure I wouldn't. Yet I still did.

Yes, under-tuned is a good word. Perversely and comically so.

I'm currently at Level 77 and need to hit 78 to move on. I've done ALL side quests available to me in Shadowbringers to this point. I still have 10,000,000 xp to go. LOL. Under-tuned... I guess I'll just grind fates under my fingers start bleeding.

I personally never ran into a situation where I was under-leveled. Which is honestly a first in this game. I ran Roulettes a handful of times at most, did all side-quests, joined FATEs whenever one was nearby, occasionally ran a new dungeon twice, and it's been smooth leveling from 70-80. Got to level 80 way before I returned to Eulmore.

It's not a big deal. I feel the leveling exp this expansion is just right.

Don't fall for the trap of completing side-quests to level. The amount exp granted for the time it takes to complete is minuscule.
Do a few of the roulettes, and join any nearby fates.

I’ve been level blocked every time. Keeping having to maw roueltte

If you do roulettes, a couple fates while you're waiting in queue, but also tackle some hunts it shouldn't be too bad an issue.

I spent all my roulettes first day of EA on Gunbreaker so I had a lot of ground to catch up with. I only experienced an actual level block at 75 which wasn't that bad and I just queued in Dom Mheg and did fates till my q popped and I just went in.

Do not ignore hunts, that's huge. Daily xp almost adding up to being about 40% of a single level for fighting mobs, not even adding in the nuts you get that can be exchanged for materia, the orchestrion roll, striking dummy, or minions. Or you can even stockpile them for future emotes they'll have in there just like in Stormblood.