So, HW is approaching and early access isn't far away.
I'm a fresh lvl50 BLM and am currently working on getting quelling strikes, levelling my GSM and working through the next story missions. I have my Zenith and just unlocked the quest for Atma..

Where do I need to be in terms of story progression to enjoy HW when it launches? Do I need to finish ALL the story quests entirely or can I still explore Ishgard having only completed up to where I am currently?

(my next story quest is Qarn: hard mode)