So about the Ilevel grind just to clear Stormblood and go one with Shadowbringers

So I tried to finish Stormbloods MSQ quest line in preparation for Shadowbringers since its required to proceed.

But now I have the MSQ wants me clear end game content that requires high level gear.

For anyone who experience a expansion transition like this. Do they seriously expect us to grind all content to get the proper Ilevel to continue to the new content? Or will they provide us with a Ilevel boost to at the very least finish that content without to much grinding?

I read on the patch note that Ilevel of quest rewards will get a boost for that, but will that be enough to clear this? And does it still apply to quest gear you already got from said quests?

Thanks for anyone who provides a response to this.

I don't mind having to do the entire MSQ quest but gear grinding old content is a big no no for me.

are you trying to do a whole lot at once? most people that play the game do so over a long period of time so they have the gear resources to keep up with the msq's requirements.

if you are a sporadic player you will need to grind (or buy) your way into access of current material.

I have no issue with the MSQ requirement. in that... I need to take my time with the story and clear it to move forward. Nor do I have have any issue MSQ content having Ilevel walls to grind for (if it's current content, not old content).

It's easy for you to say since you already meet all of the criterias to move forward.

But do you really expect new players to GRIND for gear for days just to watch cutscene and and FINALLY enjoy the new content? And all that gear they grind for become irrelevant the minute they start the new MSQ content?

I'm sorry but it's really not a good way to attrack new players

Unfortunately, you are tackling the MSQ at the worst possible time, since the new expansion hasn't dropped yet. Once a new expansion is released, you'll be able to buy ~iLv350 gear from NPC vendors for fairly cheap (albeit, normal-quality gear), which will be sufficient to pass whatever iLevel gates you need to pass.

If you are stuck, you need only wait a few more days.

From what I understand I won t have access to these vendors until I clear the MSQ of Stormblood anyways. So unless I ask someone to buy it for me and trade. It would be silly having to go this far just to enjoy the new content without a grind wall.

I watched a a Mrhappy video about the patch note that says that the Quest rewards from the stormblood MSQ will have higher Ilevel in 5.0 to allow new players to go through the MSQ without hitting a grind wall.

Which sound great, except that I already cleared most of the PRE-Ilevel grind quest of the MSQ... So I don't know if I will still get the upgrade of said gear or if I just screwed myself over by having finished most of it.

I don't know. It's just very blurry information.

Patch notes say level 70 gear will be available in Kugane. Might be sufficient?

Otherwise, no, none of the "boosts" will apply to anything you already have. What you have is what you have, ilvls won't change. They'll likely just be adding appropriate ilvl gear to 4.x quests so players won't need to go shopping so much along the way.

Since, technically, you are at end game, for the next few days or whatever, yeah, you're kinda expected to get gear the same as everyone else at end game.

But it's not such a huge ask. Centurio seals can get you some pieces of i330, I think? Not completely sufficient, but maybe enough to swap out some of the lower bits of gear. Grab whatever i360 and i390 you can for the tomes just about to be cycled out, if you have any. After patch, the i390 can be as easily grabbed with Poetics.

Once the xpac hits you can also buy all current lvl 70 tomestone gear with Poetics which will also make things easier.

Thanks for the tips...

though not to be salty, but I feel dumb for pre ordering to get on with the early access. And now I can t enjoy the early access because I have to grind old content.

It's really a bad system for new coming players. I had 2 friends interested in the game and they gave up because of the MSQ grind.

I get that people enjoy the MSQ but it s silly to force new player to go through ALL of that just to catch up. It s too much of a time sink at this point and many will give up entirely.

I grinded myself to this point, but I am seriously getting frustrated even though I am so close to finally getting up to date.

Square should really just give vendors to pass the Ilevel requirements. Progressing through the world and discovering new things to unlock the MSQ is enjoyable. to grinding content just to get the old storys done is just a big turn off.

From 5.0 patch note.
"To support new and returning players, additions and adjustments have been made to rewards for certain main scenario, side story, and job quests."

You will get gears coffer that give you almost whole set of gears and you shouldn't have IL problem until you finish the MSQ.

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Originally Posted by LunaChild

From 5.0 patch note.
"To support new and returning players, additions and adjustments have been made to rewards for certain main scenario, side story, and job quests."

You will get gears coffer that give you almost whole set of gears and you shouldn't have IL problem until you finish the MSQ.

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Yeah sounds good but... I already cleared all the MSQ that does nt require Ilevel. Will I still get the gear set or am I screwed? That what I would like to know and that quote doesn t really specify that

Just buy 390 gear with poetics as Hasrat suggested. It only requires completion of 4.0 MSQ. It doesn't require completing all of 4.x.

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Originally Posted by Beladrim007

though not to be salty, but I feel dumb for pre ordering to get on with the early access. And now I can t enjoy the early access because I have to grind old content.

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I know you are not trying to be salty, but that's how it goes with new expacs. They expect you to meet the MSQ requirements if you want to go straight in to the new areas for Early Access. It's not a good time to try and grind at the very last minute but there is no rush, really just enjoy the story and by time you catch up things will settle down a little more, it'll be nicer. (Least you got the Aetheryte Earring).

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Originally Posted by Beladrim007

Yeah sounds good but... I already cleared all the MSQ that does nt require Ilevel. Will I still get the gear set or am I screwed? That what I would like to know and that quote doesn t really specify that

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I'm not sure if you can claim said reward after the patch come,. If you can't, using Poetic to buy i380 (it will have cost halved) will be an option like other have said :).

Or if you wanna try to catch up today before maintenance, I suggest buying any piece of i 380 Rakshasa equipment from marketboard, they should be quite cheap now.
If you have some Mendacity, you can buy Rakshasa body of any job that is cheapest and turn it into Rakshasa Token with J'tandhaa (9,11) in Rhalgr's Reach. You will earn 27 token from body and you can exchange three i390 accessories (9 token each) but you will need 2 Doman Reiyaku (2x100 mendacitry each) per piece of acc.

hope it help

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Originally Posted by LunaChild

I'm not sure if you can claim said reward after the patch come,. If you can't, using Poetic to buy i380 (it will have cost halved) will be an option like other have said :).

Or if you wanna try to catch up today before maintenance, I suggest buying any piece of i 380 Rakshasa equipment from marketboard, they should be quite cheap now.
If you have some Mendacity, you can buy Rakshasa body of any job that is cheapest and turn it into Rakshasa Token with J'tandhaa (9,11) in Rhalgr's Reach. You will earn 27 token from body and you can exchange three i390 accessories (9 token each) but you will need 2 Doman Reiyaku (2x100 mendacitry each) per piece of acc.

hope it help

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Oh I didn't know the cost of the gear sets would be reduced by half. Makes a big difference. I ll still be slowed down by this, but its not has bad as I thought then. About two days should be enough to get there.

Thanks for the piece of information, changes my perspective on the entire situation.

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Originally Posted by Beladrim007

Thanks for the tips...

though not to be salty, but I feel dumb for pre ordering to get on with the early access. And now I can t enjoy the early access because I have to grind old content.

It's really a bad system for new coming players. I had 2 friends interested in the game and they gave up because of the MSQ grind.

I get that people enjoy the MSQ but it s silly to force new player to go through ALL of that just to catch up. It s too much of a time sink at this point and many will give up entirely.

I grinded myself to this point, but I am seriously getting frustrated even though I am so close to finally getting up to date.

Square should really just give vendors to pass the Ilevel requirements. Progressing through the world and discovering new things to unlock the MSQ is enjoyable. to grinding content just to get the old storys done is just a big turn off.

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I mean, this argument comes up constantly, and, it doesn't really hold water. Those players get turned off because this simply isn't the game for them. It's a game that tells a story. What's the point of reading the latest chapter if you haven't read any of the ones before? If you don't care about any of the story, you're just trying to slog through 80% of the game just to get to the 10% you like (the maths add up, there's still another 10% of side content you're also ignoring to get to "end game").

It's just not really a problem if this story game doesn't appeal to players that don't want a story. Just means they fall outside the target audience. Those of us within the target audience with happily stroll through the story, because that's part of the appeal.

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Originally Posted by Beladrim007

It's really a bad system for new coming players. I had 2 friends interested in the game and they gave up because of the MSQ grind.

I get that people enjoy the MSQ but it s silly to force new player to go through ALL of that just to catch up. It s too much of a time sink at this point and many will give up entirely.

I grinded myself to this point, but I am seriously getting frustrated even though I am so close to finally getting up to date.

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Seriously, 390 gear is availiable for poetics at patch launch even if they did nothing else to help, which if you have grinded this far you should have in abundance. However, the character you are posting from is literally level 1 in only one class. So, I'm hoping it's an alt and you aren't just trolling because you don't like having to do the MSQ. If that's the case I have lost any sympathy I might have had.

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Originally Posted by savageink

Seriously, 390 gear is availiable for poetics at patch launch even if they did nothing else to help, which if you have grinded this far you should have in abundance. However, the character you are posting from is literally level 1 in only one class. So, I'm hoping it's an alt and you aren't just trolling because you don't like having to do the MSQ. If that's the case I have lost any sympathy I might have had.

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I wasn't asking for your sympathy lol. Nor was I trolling. I was merely asking about how the transition would work with the current Ilevel restrictions halting the MSQ progress to access Shadowbringers. As a new player it s rather hard to find concrete info about this so the impression is that we would have to grind for days or weeks depending on our freetime to even scratch the shadowbringer content.

I didn't know that tomes would be more accessible and prices for the items to access said content halfed. If feeling frustrate by being Ilevel gated to access a new expans (which seems a bit much to me) is trolling to you, then I don't know know that to say really.

Still, just to put your mind at ease. I switched to my main character. Not a troll, just a flustered new player who has a lot to figure out.

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Originally Posted by Hasrat

I mean, this argument comes up constantly, and, it doesn't really hold water. Those players get turned off because this simply isn't the game for them. It's a game that tells a story. What's the point of reading the latest chapter if you haven't read any of the ones before? If you don't care about any of the story, you're just trying to slog through 80% of the game just to get to the 10% you like (the maths add up, there's still another 10% of side content you're also ignoring to get to "end game").

It's just not really a problem if this story game doesn't appeal to players that don't want a story. Just means they fall outside the target audience. Those of us within the target audience with happily stroll through the story, because that's part of the appeal.

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I really fail to understand the argument here.

For one, let me be clear. I actual enjoy the MSQ. Being a fan of FF VI, VII and IX. I think ARR was rather badly paced, but the two expans where really enjoyable. My issue is really the Ilevel restriction to progress through the MSQ. I don't mind it when the content is still up to date, but it's a bit annoying if it s old content and thus finding groups to farm said content is more challenging since most groups are busy with the new expans content. I didn't know about the lower restrictions to get the gear needed to get that Ilevel. So with that in mind, I am more understanding of this Ilevel gate. Still, I don't see why they put such barrier (Again, the Ilevel, not the MSQ itself) which might frustrate new players who want to enjoy the story yes, but want to progress at a reasonable pace until they catch up as well. To me, one it s old content. Level character should be more then enough.

I fail to see how this is an unreasonable argument. When I said forcing player to do the MSQ, I mean the Ilevel grind, not the story itself.

Besides, the game does allow to skip most dialog and cinematics, so it s not as if this is a game where you MUST consume the story to progress and it's part of the targeted audience.

But rather, it s gated by content and Ilevel restrictions. Which is at times. Frustrating at lower levels.

I don't mind having to to do all of this content once as the content and it s story parts are linked. I do mind having to grind at lower levels just to get good enough gear that is no longer relevant anyways with the new expans and clear old end game content. That's the part, I find silly. An expans should be an opportunity for new players to catch up and start a new journey with older players. This kinda goes against that. I see why it s appealing to veteran players. Not so much to new ones.

On the other hand, I also fail to see why allowing people to skip the MSQ entirely would hurt your own experience (In fact, you already can do that for ARR and HW if you have the money). So it's not like being a bit more flexible with some MSQ restrictions that you already cleared would hinder your experience.

Although you are wrong, I do love story. And MSQ for the most part is something i really do enjoy. Just not the restrictions that some of those MSQ require to move forward. Although again, i was a bit missinformed on the changes 5.0 will bring to make those restrictions easier to overcome.

Still a bit grindy but once the patch hits you will be able to buy all the current tomestone gear with just poetics that you can get from most of the old dungeons and content as well as from your roulettes. It probably won't take you more than a couple hours to get a full set of high ilvl gear from the stormblood venders. You also have the option to buy crafted gear which is more than enough to get through all the content you need. If you have any high level crafters in your FC you could probably just ask them for help, most people in the FFXIV community are more than willing to help out newer players or those that need a little extra gear level to get through content. At least that has been my experience.

In addition to what everyone has said, if it's anything like the previous expansions there will be new crafted sets that aren't considered endgame crafts (and thus are not difficult to make) that begin with a set at the previous level cap that's high enough to do the MSQ up until that point. So, just wait a little bit into the expansion and I'm sure there'll be plenty on the MB, whether from crafters trying out the new recipes or folks getting them as quest rewards and selling them.

I see no issues. I just came back at the end of this expansion and I had zero problems progressing through MSQ. I also had zero problems whatsoever doing content that gets me the gear and ilvl to progress through.

Perhaps you are overwhelmed as a new player, or maybe you are trying to rush through it to get to the upcoming expansion. Gearing up can take a little time but the requirements for MSQ is not hard at all lol.

OP, you are also under-estimating the note(from Hasrat on page one, also in the patch notes) about new level 70 equipment for sale in Kugane. They did this with the previous expansions too. This will be vendor gear(so available for a fistful of gil) at a high enough ilvl(im guessing 385 based on prior expansions) to jump right into the expansion content(and therefore, also enough to finish the last couple duties of 4.x content). Even if you somehow completed all the quests that will be adjusted to give out gear, even if you dont have enough poetics to upgrade your set sufficiently... in other words, even if you perfectly timed your leveling/MSQ to avoid all the catch-up mechanisms you will still have an easy option to get over the hump.

I don't get it. If you are waiting for ShB then why does it matter if you have to wait a few days, you must have played this for hours to get this far so how can waiting a few days until you can get 70 gear for poetics be so troublesome? You will have to grind to get through the end of ShB MSQ anyway so if you don't like grind-y content then just stick with leveling some new classes or playing a different game.