1. Dated stuff will work fine, just replace it with the new stuff as it gets to 100% Spiritbond. Also do the materia quest in Ul'dah so you can convert it.

2. Invigorate you are using I'm sure, but also try any of the activate-able attacks like Full Thrust.

3. You really need to get CNJ to 16 for Protect, Shell, Stoneskin, Shock Spikes, and Cure. It helps with soloing immensely.

4. Traits are bought from guilds. You unlock them at 20, 30, and 36.

5. Guildleves are still fast. Parties are significantly faster.

6. Gathering and crafting is the most lucrative thing to do, but quests and leves can provide enough gil to get by.

7. You can buy a chocobo license for 3000 seals once you formally join a Grand Company. This requires you to progress through the first 3 major quests for all of them and then a fourth quest for the one you want to join.

8. Dark matter is obtained from gathering, chests in dungeons, and from many vendor NPCs.

9. Not yet, but you can hide your head gear and weapon with /display (head|mh) off. Use 'on' to turn them back on.

10. You have to kill mobs at your level or higher to trigger an xp chain. A timer appears on your xp bar when you're in one.

11. I don't think so. Any mob will do now I think since the xp reward is based only on level, not mob type any more. Just look around in the area where you're doing leves.

Hope that helps!