Why not an alt instead of moving jobs?

[Stoutale]

Title says it all, but really I don’t understand why not make an alt? Leveling a new job seems tedious at best (given no MSQ) so what is the real benefit of having multiple classes on one character instead of alts, and being convenient isn’t really an answer to me because logging in and out isn’t that hard. I have to be missing something I’m sure.

[Mhaeric]

It is far easier to just switch jobs on the fly on a single character, multiple jobs use the same gear so you don't have to farm the same stuff three times over, and you don't have to complete content multiple times. The MSQ alone is incredibly long. There's also an exp bonus to your other jobs if you have one job at max level.

There are reasons to want an alt rather than a second job, such as role playing or wanting to play through the msq or even extra storage space, but none of them are related to being easier to level a job. It is far more efficient to level all your jobs on a single character.

[CainCrimson]

Base subscription only allows 2 characters btw

[Rongway]

Combat classes and jobs that are not your highest level get a +100% exp boost until Lv60. Then they get a +50% boost until 70.

[Naria]

It not that hard to get exp on an alt job. There is a lot of exp bonuses that stack: the armory bonus, FC or Scroll bonus, food bonus etc. I've leveled both alt jobs and an alt character and leveling an alt job on a character that already has completed the MSQ/unlocks etc is far faster in my experience than leveling a alt character. Just make sure that you are taking advantage of all the different ways to boost your exp.

[Stoutale]

Other then if you use the same gear for a different job (which I’d rarely do, if I want a different job I want it DIFFERENT) and the msq being lengthy (but still the best non Duty exp it seems) no one has really said why alts aren’t better. One person said two character limit so there is that, although I thought I had eight spots available

I’ve just seem multiple posts asking how to get exp after the msq is over without doing duties and to think of doing an alt job off only hunts, fates and duty pugs I’d probably just quit. I think I’m just old school and the game is more new

[Squintina]

Being convenient isn’t really an answer to me because logging in and out isn’t that hard. I have to be missing something I’m sure.

You can't just take away the answer just because you don't like it.

Being convenient IS the answer (and it's not just about logging in and out)

1 - Not having to do the MSQ
It takes like 40 hours - actual play hours, not including life hours (you know, sleep, work, school, and enjoying other forms of entertainment)
And that's just for ARR part 1 + part 2. I don't know how much it is for the full thing, but probably about 60 game hours.
Whereas a person who really wants to can level a side job 1-60 about 13 game hours.

2 - Not having to redo UI layout and hotbars

3 - Not having to convert macros to shared macros because they were done as personal macros
What, not everyone thought in advance that they'd have to

4 - Not having to lose out on your friends list, LS , etc..

5 - Not having to log in and out
Sure it's not that hard right now during offtimes.
But when a new patch is released, logging in and out = having to wait in a log in queue.

It's also nice when you're chatting with a curious new person to be able to show them things from a variety of jobs without having to make them wait for log in/out all the time.

6 - Reuse gear and use existing gil/tomes farmed on higher level to buy gear for non-reusable gear

Other then if you use the same gear for a different job (which I’d rarely do, if I want a different job I want it DIFFERENT)

*OP asks why other people do something
*OP negates answer given because s/he wouldn't personally do that

Plus on a main it's a lot easier to buy gear, including non tradable gear like tomestone gear, for an alt

7 - Trading between alt sucks
If a person wanted to use their main to help their alt, they have to either:
* log in, put in FC chest, log out. (what if someone takes their stuff because they took too long? What if there's no room in the FC chest and they're not supposed to take stuff out?)
* Use an in-between person to trade

8 - And most importantly, it's faster
There is the armory bonus to level faster. There are other options than just "hunts, fates and duty pugs". Combined with #6 and a chocobo who's already leveled and actually using in some of the leveling methods, it's just faster even if using the slower leveling methods like fates and leves.

POTD is the #1 way to level 1-60, but there are a multitude of leveling options:
http://forum.square-enix.com/ffxiv/t...31#post4650931


9 - Entry sub (for those who use it) is ONE (not 2) character per server (with a max of 8 characters total across all servers).
https://na.finalfantasyxiv.com/product/
Scroll down to Service Fees

10 - For people who use cash shop and they want to be able to use the items they bought, some items have to be bought PER CHARACTER instead of account-wide.

I think I’m just old school and the game is more new

Old school mmos relied on people grinding for the sake of leveling (via mob farming and dungeons), not story quests, to level.

[savageink]

considering you are level 44 in a single class and have yet to experience the MSQ slog to Heavensward, I say just wait and see. You won't want to repeat it either(....and I have lots of alts so I've done it both ways.)

[Canadane]

Levelling is super easy, you don't need the MSQ to do it.
It's never been easier, in fact. Exp rains down on you.

[Mhaeric]

Other then if you use the same gear for a different job (which I’d rarely do, if I want a different job I want it DIFFERENT) and the msq being lengthy (but still the best non Duty exp it seems) no one has really said why alts aren’t better. One person said two character limit so there is that, although I thought I had eight spots available

I’ve just seem multiple posts asking how to get exp after the msq is over without doing duties and to think of doing an alt job off only hunts, fates and duty pugs I’d probably just quit. I think I’m just old school and the game is more new

The eight slot limit is for the full-tier account. Basic accounts have a limit of 2, iirc. It depends on how much you pay for your subscription. Legacy accounts get the perks of the full subscription with the price of the basic one, for example.

One thing you sound like you're not aware of is that there isn't multiple sets of gear to gear jobs differently with in terms of function. I.e. You will always want to choose the highest level piece of gear. Glamour exists for the reason you give, and even with glamour there are more benefits to sticking with one character rather than an alt. E.g. You only have to farm up your various glamour items once instead of for each alt you might want to use them on, mogstation glamours are mostly only for a single character so you only have to pay RL money for them once, you can't share the glamour dresser across characters, etc.

There's nothing wrong with playing an alt in this game, ot's just not going to be as effective or efficient as doing it on a single character whether you understand that or not.