Stop Raising Item Level and build foundation with Horizontal Progression first

[Dwill]

I am unfamiliar with FFXI's expansions, did it go from Vertical to Horizontal or Horizontal to Vertical?

FFXI was horizontal for the longest time. If my memory serves me right (anyone feel free to correct me if I'm wrong on the timeline), it was at level 75 cap from 2002-2010 until they released Abyssea and raised the level cap.