Curious about leveling speed

[Zfz]

I often see people claim on the forum or in other places, that it's easy to go from 1 to 50 in 2-3 days, but nobody ever provides details, at most only saying that they themselves did it, but with no details whatsoever.

Has anyone created a new character, leveled it from 1 to 50, including finishing the Ultima quest fight, within 3 calendar days? That is, including sleep, so reasonably at most 72-15=57 hours actual play time.

Or are they referring to leveling an alt class that has the armory bonus, in an FC with the EXP gain bonus active, plus friends helping run through all the dungeons or even dungeon spamming? Or are they doing it over half a year and only logging in when they have rested bonus?

If you have personally leveled a new character from 1 to 50 within the time span of 3 calendar days, i.e. before you ding 50 you have only ever logged in on that character on at most 3 separate calendar dates, could you share what you did, and the approximate number of hours that got you to 50? Or did you do it in 2.0 during the FATE zerg era?

For example "I got to Lv.30 by lunch on the first day, then I remember when I woke up on the second day I was already queuing for Garuda", something along those lines.


I'm genuinely curious, because people make it sound like they play for 10-15 hours a day and finish it in a weekend.


If anyone's really proud of having achieved this and is willing to reveal their LodeStone achievement page, that would put my curiosity to rest permanently.

For example, my first achievement of 10 quests was recorded on 2013/8/16, and got my GLA+MAR+CNJ+ACN all to Lv 20 on 2013/8/19, before I even joined the Immortal Flames on 2013/8/24, and by the time I ding 50 on my PLD (2013/10/09), I've also got past Lv 10 on many of the crafting classes and Lv 20 on the gathering classes.

So playing casually, it took me almost 2 months to ding 50 on my first class.

The achievement list will be definite proof.

[kyuven]

What most people mean when they say this is that you can take a new CLASS to 50 in a few days. While it IS possible to do in a few days with a fresh character, the number of unlocks make it impractical unless you FATE grind.
If you look at my achievement list, you'll see I did exactly that with Rogue/NIN: It took me almost exactly 3 days to hit 50.
But I already HAVE a class at lvl 50 (several, in fact) so i received the EXP bonus, in addition to my FC bonus and food. Plus this was when the ROG was new, so FATE grinding was super easy with tons of mobs to kill.

[tocsin]

I leveled my first class from 1-50 in about a month.

I started as CNJ, spent about 7-8 hours a day playing relatively casually, making sure to do my daily roulette. I also quested, a lot, and took the time to level my crafting classes a bit, mainly because I fell in love with crafting from day one I will say, though, that I did have a bit of help from the refer a friend circlet and fc xp bonuses, though, so its not a solo level experience.

The main scenario, however, I didn't finish until like month 3. I got to lvl 50 before even beating Titan. Unless you care about battle class endgame, the main scenario is relatively unneccesary.

Also, leveling multiple classes slowly is REALLY inefficient. higher level cross class skills are amazing, and you can help your low levels much easier with a single level 50 character on-hand.

[Zfz]

While it IS possible

This is what I'm talking about: everyone claims "it is possible" yet few if anyone has done it. Everything's based on leveling alt classes which has the powerful Armoury Bonus. And FATE grind is only efficient when there are hordes of people doing it, i.e. during launch month, during the month when new classes came out. What about now?

PS: Also LodeStone achievement lists are private by default. I would have had more material to work with if it was public by default.

Also, leveling multiple classes slowly is REALLY inefficient. higher level cross class skills are amazing, and you can help your low levels much easier with a single level 50 character on-hand.

Cross class skills are not necessarily at all on the leveling path save a few special cases like Provoke (WTF Square Enix) where a crucial tool to the role is missing. And as long as you have a class with higher level, you get the Armoury Bonus on every other battle class, so it isn't necessary to first get one to "50" before working on others. Having a 50 does mean that sometimes you get to ride into a camp of enemies, pick up the quest objective and leave on your 50, but if you do that on all the quests you probably slow down the leveling speed.

Still, I'm really only interested in the leveling speed of a fresh character. Perhaps it turns out that this "2-3" days started as "a week or so" and people gradually shorten it in their comments wanting to appear knowledgeable or being good at the game, vaguely referring it to "a few days", and finally "2-3 days".

There's also the factor of that particular mob grind bug position (AOE hits mobs but mobs can't hit you), a particular FATE with infinite mob spawns as long as you don't complete it, and the Bomb guildhest oversight---all of these granted extremely efficient EXP gains and were all patched away. Some people may have been using these now unavailable shortcuts in their leveling but genuinely forgot about this fact because it was considered "normal" at that time.

[Nominous]

This is what I'm talking about: everyone claims "it is possible" yet few if anyone has done it. Everything's based on leveling alt classes which has the powerful Armoury Bonus.

What are you trying to accomplish, prove, or learn here? Are you trying to prove it isn't easily done? Or are you trying to learn how to do it yourself? Most people saying that they hit 50 in 3 days are talking about after their first capped Job. That doesn't make it any more relevant, which is what I feel like you're getting at.

The majority of players have a capped Job already, and that's the most important asset to leveling to 50 in 3 days. Otherwise, the other bonuses kind of pale in comparison. Other than the 50 bonus, here's what you need to fast track to 50 in that amount of time.

1) Have 99 leves stocked. 1-21 can be done in roughly 3- 3 and a half hours by completing leves such as, "Adamantoise Tears", which can be done without combat, and only take around 50 seconds (at max).
2) Hit up FATES while queued for dungeons, at this point. As long as you get decent credit, you're not missing out on EXP. However, if you have an FC party that will boost you, simply spam dungeons until roughly 30-ish. That's probably a solid 8-10 hours out, depending on how fast you complete dungeons. At which point...
3) Either you grind Coerthas FATES, or you continue doing dungeons, however... dungeons will take slightly longer than organized FATE grinding. This is until 41 or 42, which should take you another roughly 15-20 hours.
4) At this point you can FATE grind until 45 (about 7-10 hours depending on your dedication), and then you can DD run spam, which takes no longer than maybe 5 hours to hit 50, with a WHM/good party.

That is how you hit 50 in 3 days. The times are a bit off, I know, but the general idea is there. I didn't hit 50 in 3 days when NIN came out, but I was at roughly 40 by the 3rd day, it really isn't that difficult. Anyone trying to hit cap from a brand new character will never hit it in 3 days, it's impossible. You need the dungeons, which are unlocked via story, and there's Primal fights mixed in with that, not to mention tons of running tea around.

[Zfz]

What are you trying to accomplish, prove, or learn here?

To find out what "2-3 days to 50" really means. I've met a few newcomers lately and one thought (after reading through forums, although I'm not sure which ones) that he should be able to get to 50 and start on end-game content in 2-3 days, saying that everyone's saying this. With this thread and the solid info people have provided, fewer newcomers will be misled.

Because I have not done it myself, nor do I plan to do it, I cannot say to a newcomer whether it's true or not, or advise them on how to do it if they plan to do so. Hence I came seeking people who's actually done it to share the experience.

Note that I'm seeking people who had done it. Otherwise I know the leveling game as well as most other people, having participated since beta. But I don't want theorizing, I want actual experience.

For example some people think it's not possible to clear the main quest at least up to the end of 2.0 in 3 days, but it's been done as revealed early on in the thread. So the "2-3 days to 50" actually apply to clearing the 2.0 main quest. The "easily" part though is busted as a lot of people would probably consider 50-60 hours of play time in 3 days not something easily done.

Think of this as a mythbusting thread. The result: FACT.

[FoxyAreku]

The main scenario, however, I didn't finish until like month 3. I got to lvl 50 before even beating Titan. Unless you care about battle class endgame, the main scenario is relatively unneccesary.

There's so little to do without the main story....you can't even do any level 50 dungeons until you beat ultima. Don't spread lies like this, it'll confuse new players. Main story should be grinded out as quick as possible to at least that point, and if you care about getting ALL fights and dungeons you need to do all of it >.>

[tocsin]

There's so little to do without the main story....you can't even do any level 50 dungeons until you beat ultima. Don't spread lies like this, it'll confuse new players. Main story should be grinded out as quick as possible to at least that point, and if you care about getting ALL fights and dungeons you need to do all of it >.>

I don't spread any lies. I'm a crafter. I haven't even switched to a battle class in weeks. Think about how much of the main story is actually required for end-game crafting, end-game Gathering, or someone who just wants to grind the gold saucer all day. The ONLY reason to do the main story all the way through is if you are a fan of the ffxiv battle system. I'm not, and I know plenty of people who also aren't.

Don't accuse me of lying, unless you 100% can back up that NOTHING can be done without what I say. it looks bad on you.

[Vespar]

I don't spread any lies. I'm a crafter. I haven't even switched to a battle class in weeks. Think about how much of the main story is actually required for end-game crafting, end-game Gathering, or someone who just wants to grind the gold saucer all day. The ONLY reason to do the main story all the way through is if you are a fan of the ffxiv battle system. I'm not, and I know plenty of people who also aren't.

Don't accuse me of lying, unless you 100% can back up that NOTHING can be done without what I say. it looks bad on you.

I didnt even consider just being a craft/gatherer. I dont think most people on here even assumed that.I think most of us assumed that the information the OP was after was in regards to Battle classes. For DoL/DoH classes things might be different. But I have to ask, most people dont do the main scenario for the battle system, they do it for the story... so why play FFXIV if you have no interest in its story?

[Gillionaire]

I didnt even consider just being a craft/gatherer. I dont think most people on here even assumed that.I think most of us assumed that the information the OP was after was in regards to Battle classes. For DoL/DoH classes things might be different. But I have to ask, most people dont do the main scenario for the battle system, they do it for the story... so why play FFXIV if you have no interest in its story?

most MMO players don't play the game for story..

There are largely 2 schools of players in FF14. FF14 playerbase is quite a bit different than other MMOs though, so there's that.

Better question may be "Why play Final Fantasy if you have no interest in its story?" and my answer to you would be, I'm not playing this game because it's final fantasy, I'm playing this game because I'm an MMO gamer and my friends just happen to have landed on this one. Of course, among them, there's the:

Story guy (just played his first character to 50, then made an alt to redo the story)
I could just as easily ask him why he doesn't go into end-game when MMO is all about the end-game

Crafter
I could ask THIS one why he doesn't get into combat more because final fantasy is about combat


PvP'er
I had to ask this one why he dragged me into FF14 when I was perfectly content playing WoW on my own...



Anyway, different players have different ideas on how to play their game and FF14 just seems to have a little more variety in it than other typical MMOs.

I'm personally an end-game PvP'er/crafter. But since PvP in this game is almost non-existent, I've taken on a role of crafter for the most part..

Your post only shows 6 days, and 1 day left out inbetween, as long as no one shows this achievements gotten within 3 or 4 (considering no one is a machine) days, no one did it.

Are you really that unfamiliar with the craziness of online gamers to think that because someone who happened to link his time didn't do it in 3 days, it's simply impossible? He just posted that as an example, there are countless people bound to have done it faster.
For example when I used to play Diablo 2(ancient history, I know) I never got a character to level 99 in under 2 days or even 2 months.. But that doesn't mean it didn't happen. It's well documented that plenty of people have.. (couldn't think of another game where there's a ladder for speed leveling)