1: No clue
2: Been out of the game, so I'm not sure how viable it is. Last time I was playing though it was all about SCH setting up a MB with the tank and mages nuking it and all other DPS was trash.
3: Level 30, and a bit of progress into the Wings of the Goddess expansion.
4: FFXI is definitely worth playing, at least for all the old level 75 content. Getting geared up enough to finish Seekers of Adoulin and the last parts of Rhapsodies of Vana'diel can be annoying if you're not a meta-appropriate job though.
5: Yup! Simple text command to lock your gear in place. You can also make it lock a specific saved gearset, allowing you to glamour stuff you can't actually wear at the moment.
6: Up to you.
7: Asura I believe.