Does the MSQ require you to do dungeons and group content all the way?

I much prefer soloing. I go at my pace, and I can't screw anything up for anyone else. I was encouraged when I saw that FF14 allowed you to use retainers to run dungeons, but you apparently need to do several dungeons before you unlock that.
I am in a small static group of people trying the game out - I was much more enthusiastic than the others because I remembered playing FF7 to completion. We have completed the 1st 2 dungeons, but now looking at the list of 'Progression and Level Locked content' on the Gamer Escape site there look to be lots more. I had assumed that unlocking a dungeon meant it would be optional, not a requirement. That wonderful word 'assumed'…
I have bought the expansions (inc pre-ordering the next one) and got a 6 month sub based on the experience of the levels up to that 1st dungeon. I am not complaining about that (no matter what it sounds like), that's all on me, but I was wondering 3 things:
1) Are there many of these required dungeons in the MSQ as I see some of the later ones are marked as side-quests so I assume can be safely ignored?
2) Can you skip parts of the MSQ - i.e. give up on it for ARR, but then rejoin it in the next expansion (Heavensward?) where hopefully all dungeons and raids are optional.
3) Is there a way to skip over the dungeons and do the rest of the MSQ, If not then not, but it never hurts to ask.

There are many dungeons and trials that are mandatory parts of the MSQ. There are also many dungeons and trials that are optional. Most of the optional ones are at levels 50, 60, 70, and 80 - i.e. for current and previous level caps.
The MSQ can't be skipped in any way. Nearly everything in the game is gated by the MSQ in one way or the other.

Later - much later - in the game you can do the MSQ dungeons (but not the trials) with NPCs as your party. This will probably be the norm for new content from now on.

MistakeNot gave you the definitive answer but want to add that, I'm exactly like you and prefer to solo, but my experiences in dungeons so far have all been pretty positive. They're pretty quick and easy and the PUGs I've been in have been ok. Not the nightmare I anticipated. :)

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Originally Posted by Tagros

I much prefer soloing. I go at my pace, and I can't screw anything up for anyone else.

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If you got to level 80 and bought item level 510 gear from the market board, you would be able to solo a lot of dungeons up to early level 70 content on a paladin (which starts as a gladiator), then you would start to need help.

That would be hard and take a long time, but you don't have to be 80 for the earlier content. If you do it, starting on a Preferred world which doubles experience gain would help or you could buy a level skip to 70.

I don't recommend this though - you can just queue for the dungeons and do them with 3 others. All required story dungeons and trials are "easy", with the challenging versions being optional sidequests. No one mechanic one-hit kills you usually. One experienced player can carry the entire party of clueless first-timers on any role, most of the time and that's completely intentional. You get a sprout icon so people understand you are new, and they get experience or tomestone bonuses when it's your first time so it benefits them that you are new. There isn't usually a problem, and if someone is rude and you report it, a GM will probably warn or ban them.

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Originally Posted by Tagros

We have completed the 1st 2 dungeons, but now looking at the list of 'Progression and Level Locked content' on the Gamer Escape site there look to be lots more. I had assumed that unlocking a dungeon meant it would be optional, not a requirement.

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This is a story-driven game. Dungeons and trials are used to help tell this story and there are dozens of required dungeons and trials, with expansions having up to 11 required dungeons and 4 required trials each.

The dungeons get extremely good, but as I explained they are so easy that a lot of people turn off their brain when doing them. They are designed for people who are new and aren't playing very well so you really don't need to worry. They do get more mechanically complex and they start to look far more beautiful and varied, but it's nothing really hard.

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Originally Posted by Tagros

Can you skip parts of the MSQ - i.e. give up on it for ARR, but then rejoin it in the next expansion (Heavensward?) where hopefully all dungeons and raids are optional.

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You can buy a story skip pack on the mog station, but the story of the expansions are all interconnected as one big story, so if you skip part of it you won't understand the rest.

I think you should consider overcoming your aversion to dungeons and trials. They are actually so easy that you would probably have more challenge in the solo battles.

As the others said, the group instances you are required to run are all part of the overall story. Some of them seem fairly tossed on(we need someone to clear the pirates out of this nearby cave), while others are so integral the story wouldnt really work the same without them(we need to storm this castle to kill someone inside). Even the optional dungeons/trials/raids have story to them(someone has taken over the lighthouse and we need adventurers to clear them out before they endanger all the ships sailing this coast), but the story of them is usually a step or two(or more) removed from the main goings on.

And one more "extreme" option for avoiding content. Most story instances up til level 70 can be cleared by a single maxed out player. If you have any high level friends, it would only take one of them to remove the challenge from any content until you were basically at the most recent content. It wouldnt be as fun, but it is doable.

Thank you for your replies. It does seem as though I will have to grit my teeth and try at least a few dungeons using PuGs.
I have played WoW and mostly solo that as well, but I have had to run a few dungeons with PuGs for a particular storyline (Alliance BfA progression and SL Kyrian covenant), but I made sure never to run as a tank or healer as they always really need to KNOW exactly what they are doing or the quest fails.

Final question (probably). I get to L80, full of the joys of spring and all that, do I lose access to all the things I've unlocked on the way to L80 when you start another job at L1. For example, would I have to requalify through the MSQ for the NPC retainers that help in dungeons or are they available when I reach the appropriate level, or requalify for the chocobo when I reach L20 if I've already unlocked it once?

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Originally Posted by Tagros

Final question (probably). I get to L80, full of the joys of spring and all that, do I lose access to all the things I've unlocked on the way to L80 when you start another job at L1. For example, would I have to requalify through the MSQ for the NPC retainers that help in dungeons or are they available when I reach the appropriate level, or requalify for the chocobo when I reach L20 if I've already unlocked it once?

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Short answer, no. Gameplay features you have unlocked through the MSQ, or any other way, remain unlocked and available, so you just have to reach the appropriate level to make use of them, *if* they have a minimum required level.

For example, mounts you can use at all times after unlocking them regardless of level. But attempting the first dungeon on your new job will need you to get to the dungeon's minimum required level.

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Originally Posted by Tagros

Thank you for your replies. It does seem as though I will have to grit my teeth and try at least a few dungeons using PuGs.
I have played WoW and mostly solo that as well, but I have had to run a few dungeons with PuGs for a particular storyline (Alliance BfA progression and SL Kyrian covenant), but I made sure never to run as a tank or healer as they always really need to KNOW exactly what they are doing or the quest fails.

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For most of the leveling dungeons there really isn't all that much to know. In a group where everyone is new to the dungeon you might wipe once or twice before people figure out the mechanics. (Extreme Trials, and Savage Raids are a lot harder, but those are very optional)

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Final question (probably). I get to L80, full of the joys of spring and all that, do I lose access to all the things I've unlocked on the way to L80 when you start another job at L1. For example, would I have to requalify through the MSQ for the NPC retainers that help in dungeons or are they available when I reach the appropriate level, or requalify for the chocobo when I reach L20 if I've already unlocked it once?

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Not at all. Once you have unlocked your chocobo mount or retainers you will always have access to them regardless of class or level. Most quests can't be repeated anyway, so you couldn't redo the needed quests even if you wanted to.
And there is no reason to wait until you reach level 80 before unlocking your second class/job. If you do all sidequests and the occasional roulette you will get enough xp to level two jobs in parallell while going through the MSQ.

I have been playing for about a week. I too was dismayed at having to go through dungeons at first as I usually solo play. After doing a few dungeons here in the MSQ, I now don't hesitate at all to go into them. I've found they work well and people will explain any needed mechanics.

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Originally Posted by Tagros

Final question (probably). I get to L80, full of the joys of spring and all that, do I lose access to all the things I've unlocked on the way to L80 when you start another job at L1. For example, would I have to requalify through the MSQ for the NPC retainers that help in dungeons or are they available when I reach the appropriate level, or requalify for the chocobo when I reach L20 if I've already unlocked it once?

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No, these things are all independent of which job you are using.

That is assuming you unlock the second job on the same character. If you made a new character you would have to do the story again, but making new characters isn't common because you can play all classes on one character.