Overwhelmed-but having a blast.

[Elwyne]

At level 24 it feels like I have experienced so many different things I really don't know much about most of it. So I decided to slow down and level crafting, gather, use my retainers, visit my FC house for the first time, check all the zones for the + quests that I might have missed, sort my bags, make Materia from all the items I have been saving.....

Lots to do and lots to learn. For a new player on my first toon it feels like I have been going a 100 mph. Time to slow down, smell the roses, and learn more about this game that has me hooked.

Any advice for a level 24 that just spent 3 days straight getting to this level. Just joined a GC so going to look into that also.

Whew-this game has a ton of content to experience. How do you veteran players prioritize it all?

[MysticWoolie]

O dear how much there is to do!
It's incredible.

I recently hit lvl 32, and got my first Souls (summoner and scholar).
I'm also hanging back a little bit, levelling all crafts to 15, reading up on what I can do and such.

Make sure, if you haven't already, to pick up your Chocobo quest for your mount, and visit the Gold Saucer (quest start is in Ul'dah).
And don't forget the Palace of the Dead you can enter in Quarrymill.
I'm not setting any mayor priorities, other than focusing purely on my Scholar/Summoner until I can unlock Astrologian.

Next to that I am taking my time, figuring out how to join a Free Company and perhaps think about how I can muster the funds to ultimately buy myself a house.

Lastly, I wanna make sure i grab every Aether node to ease up my travel.

This game is so glorious.

[Kai_Lee]

I recommend on focusing on the story first, the side quest while tempting to do, you will have plenty of time to do later, focus on one job and learn to play it well before you go crazy trying to level everything at once, it's easy to get burn out.

[Rawrz]

It's so exciting to listen to people revel in the game. It's like being exposed to completely new senses. We take for granted the fresh and beautiful Eorzea.

[bswpayton]

At level 24 it feels like I have experienced so many different things I really don't know much about most of it. So I decided to slow down and level

Id say just keeping up with your class quest line to make sure your getting all your skills and also leveling your secondary class archer so that you can become a blm. Just keep doing your msq it will lead you in the right direction, you can unlock a level 21 dungeon as well in western Thal. And you have the option to grab a few more optional dungeons on your leveling path one at level 21, 35, 38, 44, and 47 these are all optional dungeons that you can use to level. Most of them are from the same npcs in western thal who will give you the quest. But take your time and enjoy the games amazing its really fun

[Rinari]

I don't know if it ever slows down. I'm ~7 weeks into the game now and still feel like I'm only skimming the surface of things to do. I'd mirror the sentiment that you should focus on the main quest line while also hitting up your class/job quests every 5 levels. Don't be afraid to just do what is fun of course! If you want to take a side trip into the saucer, unlock the triple triad card game, delve into Palace of the Dead, work on crafting, ect... have at it! Objectively though, a lot of things get easier as you level up and unlock things through the MSQ (main quest sequence).... so if you're torn, just go back to MSQ.

Oh, do join the novice network if you haven't already! You'll need an invite from a mentor, but shouting around any major city should get you in pretty quick. The novice network is a great place to get advice and more importantly, meet other players. See if you can find your way into social linkshells with friendly people. There is nothing more rewarding than joining up with friends! You'll eventually lose novice status with time played and A Realm Reborn MSQ completion. Make use of it while you can!

[Briaireous]

I'm a long time player, I wouldn't call myself a veteran by any stretch though, as I've just returned from a 2 year break. It took me a few days just to remember how to move around and relearn the basic systems

My advice would be to get your traveling down first, get familiar with the nations. So focus on unlocking as many of the Aetherytes as you can.

If you haven't started the quest "My Little Chocobo" maybe get that down as well as it will give you access to your chocobo mount! Which you can use later as a companion or to race and breed with

Something else you could do to learn more about what the game has to offer is to use the wikis and other websites available. You might find something you would like to obtain or achieve. Be it a piece of gear, mount, minion etc. These are my 2 go to websites (there are others of course)

xivdb.com
ffxiv.consolegameswiki.com/wiki/FF14_Wiki
Most of all have fun and do what you think will be enjoyable

[Niwashi]

At level 24 it feels like I have experienced so many different things I really don't know much about most of it. So I decided to slow down and level crafting, gather, use my retainers, visit my FC house for the first time, check all the zones for the + quests that I might have missed, sort my bags, make Materia from all the items I have been saving.....

Lots to do and lots to learn. For a new player on my first toon it feels like I have been going a 100 mph. Time to slow down, smell the roses, and learn more about this game that has me hooked.

Yeah, that's a good point at which to slow down and explore. Once you've joined a Grand Company, you have access to everything that the Main Scenario is going to give you for a while, and there are also quite a few features unlockable by sidequests at that point, so it's a good time to take a break and explore a bit, try out different things.

Get your chocobo if you haven't yet, try out crafting, try out other classes, ... If you haven't yet, unlock and try out the challenge log, the gold saucer, the aesthetician, materia conversion, retainer ventures, the sightseeing log, and Palace of the Dead. (Lots of feature unlocks come in the level 15 - 20 range, so it's worth checking whether you missed any.)

Oh, do pick up your next MSQ, though, even if just to leave it unfinished in your Quest Journal for a while. Lots of people lose track of where they left off after taking a break to explore and try out other classes, then when they want to go back to the story, they've forgotten where the next quest is at. If you get into the habit of always picking up the next main quest whenever you finish one, it will be there in your Journal when you're ready to go back to the story.

I recommend on focusing on the story first, the side quest while tempting to do, you will have plenty of time to do later, focus on one job and learn to play it well before you go crazy trying to level everything at once, it's easy to get burn out.

When it comes to the simple sidequests that don't unlock anything, that can be a valid approach. But when talking about the + quests (quests with the plus sign in the corner of the icon), those can in many cases be important to get before going further in the story, since they unlock game features, and some of those features are things you're going to want available to you while doing the remainder of the story.

So I'd actually place the priority as:
+ quests > MSQ > other sidequests.
(The + quests include your class/job quests, as well as various others scattered around)

As to whether to focus on leveling one job or alternating between several, that's just a matter of personal preference.

[Aniond]

Dont forget you can also get Chocobo as combat pet soon. Leveling him, changing his color, and training him is all part of the fun...

[Xandos]

My suggestion is to set small goals for yourself. Something that might take a week of time for you. After you have completed that goal then reward yourself with something else you want to dabble in. A goal like getting your class to 30 and a reward of unlocking all of leveling carpenter to 5 or 10. Your next goal could be leveling your subclass to 15 and getting your main job with a reward of giving the Gold Saucer a spin.

I have been doing stuff like that for the last year and it has helped prevent burnout. It also means I have yet to finish the MSQ I just cleared out Antitower this week. Just remember there is no pressure to do anything, so do what you want at your own pace.