Ok so I am a returning player. I had an old Gladiator that was level 5. He only has level 1 gear still. So anyway I go get some Leve's and finish them. I really like the new combat mechanics and everything. So anyway long story short I reach about level 9 shortly thereafter.

So I go and grab some of the next camp spot's Leves. They are level 10 so I think oh this shouldn't be too hard. It's downright impossible to do alone. You get jumped by 2-3 monsters per round, and sometimes new ones pop up after the old monsters die! Even with a friend (another GLA in lvl1 gear) we could -barely- finish any Leve. We would literally kill one mob in the bunch, wipe, then return and kill another mob. We would have to die over and over just to finish one Leve. What the hell?

Also, apparantly no one groups, ever. I mean why? No one even talks to me. No one answers questions, its like no one gives a shit. I thought FFXIV had a good community? This game -needs- communication or else it doesn't work. Why the hell is everyone in towns, camps, etc, all just mindless zombies? Surely everyone cant be Japanese and just ignoring me.

So anyway I thought to myself, why not look for new gear? maybe thats the problem.

*WHAT THE HELL* Why is EVERYTHING I need 20k - 100k - 1MILLION GIL!? The Leve's I get only net me TWO HUNDERED gil per Leve!! I have a retainer with crystals for sale but no one has bought barely any in two days of selling. And I did research and put up the lowest prices! And the merchant NPCs are worse! They sell like level 1 gear, then level 14, then 35, and so forth. Like every upgrade is 10-20 levels apart from each other. And they are MORE expensive than the market wards!! 30k for a level 11 or so weapon!? Why does SE think new players are rich!?

i feel like I am at a total standstill. I can go out and grind on mobs (very slowly I may add) that are 2 or 3 levels below me, and that's it! Where the hell are the parties? Where the hell are all the people? I see you out there standing in the camps, why aren't you playing the game? And people who are out in the fields don't even talk! I downright KS'd someone's monster (on accident) and they didnt get mad or show any emotion.

I almost refuse to go buy a fishing pole and play fishing mini game until I can sell fish, or botany, or mining. I mean, Do I really have to play trades jobs in order to play my real job?

This game is truly un balanced and they've had way too long. I am just now starting to feel like the game may be coming together, but I feel it's more unplayable now than ever. And I just can't wrap my head around it.

I have applied to 2 LS's with no response, and /shouting in ULDAH has gained me nothing. People shout in towns for level 25+ parties only. Do people level 10 just solo up until level 25 or something? Where are the level 10 parties?

Anyway i need to break a mental break from this game because I want it to work SO bad but I can't even play it.

What do you suggest I do?