Question from the original FF14

[Enkidoh]

Yes and no. Only 1.0 players who satisfied a rather arbitrary content requirement (completing the Lunar Transmitter boss fight in version 1.0) were given the special 'Legacy' opening where their character 'warps' into Eorzea and just kind of walks into their starting city (although somewhat ridiculously wearing newbie armour and a level 1 weapon!) and are eventually remembered by npcs as being a 'Warrior of Light'. All other 1.0 players are just kind of lumped in with a new adventurer by being given the same opening of them appearing on the chocobo carriage or ferry with the merchant (never mind what we've been doing for the past five years!).

In some respects, this could be considered a lazy way of writing 1.0 characters into the storyline, but given the fact the development team were really rushing to meet the release deadline, it's understandable that it was implemented in this way as it would have eaten into valuable development time to implement three different storylines. (I created a backstory for my character explaining what happened to her in the Calamity and why she returned five years later on a chocobo carriage to Gridania wearing different clothes to what she was wearing then so it doesn't really worry me that much anymore anyway ).

[Fluttersnipe]

Thanks for clearing that up. At least they slightly rewarded the legacy players by giving them a special cut scene lol.

[Torquil]

If kind of did the same thing for my character Enkidoh. My character basically left Eorzea after the Ascian CS in 1.0, scared me right off !

[Vanifae]

Did characters that got the special cut scene retain their levels earned in the first game or were they level 1 as well?

[Nialle]

They kept their level but had to redo all class/job quests, I believe.

[Tsuwu]

They kept their level but had to redo all class/job quests, I believe.

Correct.
I last logged out of 1.23 in full BLM Artifact armor, standing on the bridge for Gryphon's crossing, back in mid-2012.
When I logged back in, I had a lot of "dated" gear and some Mage's Gear (i52 set, I believe) equipped. My character was level 50. But I was still treated like I'd never cast Fire at anything in my life.
Also, fun note: That character is one of the rare BLM breed that has a level 0 ARC. 1.0 required a PGL, not an ARC for BLM's sub-job.
But ARR let me keep my job stone anyway.
Weird, huh?