Returning player

But I may as well be new with all that's changed. Most of the new things I'm picking up relatively quickly and, in general, enjoying. I still have some questions, however:

I apologize if this has been answered elsewhere. I've read any number of times that we'll keep out progress, etc. etc., but what of the people who want to play as a, for example, male Miqo'te or a female Roegadyn? Are we going to get a chance to reroll and keep said progress or will we have to just delete and start fresh? I looked around, but didn't find any answers about this and it's pretty make-or-break in deciding if I keep playing leading up to 2.0.

Next, are there any active link shells out there any more? I'm on Wutai, but, if I didn't know any better, I'd say that those shields are mainly just for decoration now. I'd like to try out NM's and everything, but it seems like the likelihood of that is dwindling.

I've seen this talked about to some extent, but never really found the informaiton I was looking for. What kind of items do you get for achievements? I assume these are these items mentioned in the letters and updates that won't be available in 2.0, correct?

Anyway, any answers would be appreciated. Until then, I'll be wandering about in Wutai punching things.

Regarding your first question, I dug up this post from the dev tracker a while back. We will be allowed a one-time change of everything but our names so far, but there's a strong push to allow the changing of names as well.

For #2: Pandemonium is recruiting!

For #3: So far, you can obtain the 'luminary' tools for gatherers and crafters for doing a ton of work. There are also the crowns for various similar achievements that offer high stats. I don't know about these not being available in 2.0, but I know this storyline playing out in the Grand Companies won't be.

That's fantastic and a huge weight off my mind. And after posting such a consise and informative post, I think I just put "apply for Pandemonium" at the top of my to-do list.

Just a little tip, if you unlock the achievement lists by talking to the relevant NPCs (they are marked by an award medal on the map), when you highlight an achievement that gives a gear reward it will preview the item.