Catch-up Gearing?

[Jpec07]

I began playing FFXIV right around the time that Heavensward launched. I leveled my main character through the 2.0 quests near the end of 2.55, and by the time I got to 50, 3.0 had launched. When I was going through the patch quests, I noticed that the game was handing out catch-up gear, beyond the iLvl 60 stuff from the job quests--such that by the time I started playing in Heavensward, I was around iLvl 100 (with enough Poetics to bump myself another few iLvls).

Does anyone know when they added this catch-up gearing mechanism to the ARR MSQ patch quests? I'm curious to know if I should wait on pulling my alts through the Heavensward patches until Stormblood releases, or if the quests rewards for MSQ are as good as they're gonna get.

[magnanimousCynic]

Catch up gear for A Realm Reborn 2.1-2.55 was added with the launch of Heavensward.

So if SE keeps the pattern going then they'll add gear catch-up for Heavensward 3.1-3.56 MSQ once Stormblood hits.

[Vidu]

Seeing how the HW-storyquests all handed out HQ crafted gear that was more or less the same ilvl than the one you got from ARR storyquests I wouldnt say its worth holding off - if you feel like playing through the story on your alts again right now my advice would be to go for it instead of waiting for them to (maybe) add outdated gear that will most likely be replaced by the first ten quests in SB.

[Silverquick]

Yeah they handed out gear like it was going out of style in the ARR and HW quests. I was level 54 so I just bought the gear ahead of time... but you level so fast.

I have about a sliver of exp before 60th and I was level 57 only a couple days ago. So already all that gear has been outleveled.

You just slingshot through the levels these days, so whatever gear they're handing out now will be obsolete in like a day or two.

[Ririta]

I'd wait. Honestly grinding for gear to catch up is killing all my motivation, it's either Wiping City or ARF, the tome rewards from everything else is super low while Alexander has huge queues (and i270 people will roll on the tokens so you have very little chance of actually upgrading your gear).

[Nicodemus_Mercy]

Upgraded poetic gear (ilvl 130) will carry you through the bulk of Heavensward leveling. Around 56-57 you'll start seeing upgrades from vendors/dungeons/quests. At 60 you can nab some ilvl 200 gear (including weapons) from Centurio Seals that you get from doing the hunts given in Ishgard. That gear can be upgraded to 210 as well. Once you hit average ilvl 175 you'll have access to Void Ark which also drops ilvl 200 gear and can be run as much as you want. Running dungeons will also get you Tomestones of Lore which can buy 230 gear.

Basically, once you hit ilvl 175+, getting gear upgrades shouldn't be too difficult.

[Galactimus]

Considering that Stormblood NPC Vendors are going to be handing out level 60-70 gear on day one (for gil); there isn't really any need to worry about gear catch-up. I'd wait for Stormblood.