Item level not good enough for NPC or playrs on Rock The Castrum

I started doing MSQ's only in my late teens since i saw tha tthe XP earned was enough to keep me ahead of quests.

So since then iive done the MSQ only. Any gear i got from that upgraded.

Now i dont know how to get gear to get a better item level to do Rock The Castrum. Everywhere i look the quests are below me now that i am 50.

Sort of stuck now. I cant que higher dungeons to get better gear cos of item level but need item level to que for dungeons.

Either start handing out better gear on the way to "the end" or lower the req to do these quests and make them esier. I did all dungeons and scenarios on the way and still am not good enough in item level to move forward.

You're meant to do the quests that upgrade your base class (Archer) into its job (Bard), starting at lvl 30. These quests unlock abilities and give you a set of iLvl 90 gear (hat, chest, gloves, legs, and boots), which raises your iLvl well beyond the requirement to queue up for Castrum Meridianium/Praetorium.

Yeah, doing your class and job quests will easily fix this problem. As a bonus, you will also unlock additional combat abilities to use.

As Nezerius and Frizze above said, you are meant to do your main scenario and class/Job quests at the very least as they become available, it's regular run-of-the-mill sidequests you can set aside for later. This is because FFXIV is a story-based game that unlocks content as you undertake the storyline - in fact if you've been neglecting the story, it will literally prevent you from accessing most of the game! And to say nothing of also missing out on essential abilities that class and Job quests unlock.

There's a lot to do, but just treat as an ongoing journey (also, you're meant to use the main scenario to level your first class/Job, and use other forms of levelling for your other classes/Jobs - this is because you get an EXP bonus towards EXP gained on all classes lower than your highest level class, although it's a small bonus, it's still better than nothing).

I should have said MSQ and class quests. I did both. I am not seeing any archer quests anymore. I had to find some quests in that area that dropped some 49 level gear. I had to do like 3 of those for gear. I got past the thing now but stuck on another quest.

Class quests end at level 30, and then the guildmaster sends you to the related Job upgrade quest NPC for that class which takes over from your class quests. And those are every 3-5 levels or so (in ARC's case, the Job is BRD, and the NPC is found in the hollowed out log in the South Shroud along the path between Quarrymill and Bascaron's Druthers (he's the beadered elezen camper with the campfire inside).

He should have a quest available for you that rewards a 'Soul of the Bard', which will change your ARC class to BRD automatically upon equipping it. Then keep returning to that NPC every 3 to 5 levels to get a new Job quest which will reward you with new Job abilities, and.. from level 45-50, your first Job specific gear ('Artifact Armour' or AF).