My problem with leveling up in FFXIV.

[File2ish]

The A Realm Reborn part of the story (1-50) is a slog and is getting adjusted during this patch cycle actually, but aside from MSQ for easy experience you can do some leveling roulettes and general dungeon runs for some more active leveling if you aren't feeling like doing quests all the time. But you will have to complete the MSQ stuffs to get into the expansion content for Heavensward and on. Of which you have 3 expansions worth of more story and reading dialogue and whatnot to go through still. Will be the case for most of your time until you reach level 80 and finish Shadowbringers.

I'm not an advocate for purchasing mog station stuff (if you ask me I say do your best to enjoy the MSQ 'cause it's really good post ARR), but there are story skip and level skip potions for sale if you want to get to endgame content faster. You will still have to do the MSQ for Shadowbringers and level from 70-80 if you do purchase the potions.

In Patch 5.1 next month we will be getting New Game+ to replay MSQ stuff from 3.X and 4.X. Since they're adjusting 2.X MSQ we'll be getting that probably in 5.2 or later for NG+.

[PyurBlue]

I’m a pretty new player so take this from my point of view but I have had some issues with leveling in the game.

Until you get to the final expansion there seems to be no reason at all to do any questing other than the msq. And yeah FFXIV seems to do a great job for story but the problem for me has been that you do very little gameplay or experiencing the world and spend most your time traveling and reading all the story text. So when I get home at night and have an hour or two to play, the last thing I want to do is read and travel around a map so I end up just playing a low lvl job and doing levees so that I can relax and get some game action.

Am I alone here?

It's as you say. The MSQ is required to do pretty much everything else in the game and it can create a feeling of repetitiveness and boredom, especially early on in ARR where the story isn't at its best. SE is starting to realize this, and we're supposed to get a revamped ARR MSQ sequence in the future.

The game does get better later, once you get there, but I really feel like the leveling process should be condensed. It feels especially odd in a RPG to be constrained to one thing for so long. I'm not really sure what to suggest as alternatives to the MSQ. I did a lot of dungeon runs when I started the game because I found that more fun, but unfortunately that also delayed completing the MSQ. I guess you just need to find a balance and get through the game at your own pace.

[Arazehl]

I’m a pretty new player so take this from my point of view but I have had some issues with leveling in the game.

Until you get to the final expansion there seems to be no reason at all to do any questing other than the msq. And yeah FFXIV seems to do a great job for story but the problem for me has been that you do very little gameplay or experiencing the world and spend most your time traveling and reading all the story text. So when I get home at night and have an hour or two to play, the last thing I want to do is read and travel around a map so I end up just playing a low lvl job and doing levees so that I can relax and get some game action.

Am I alone here?

Doing just story quests day after day can wear on you, I get that. Take it from me though, when you get to the end game content and you've said goodbye for now to the last bit of story left to do, you start missing that part of the game in a very short time. There is always something to grind for. I find that more tedious than doing msq. You are force to do the same dungeons over and over. You begin to appreciate having msq to fall back on.

[Clouse_Cleyra]

I insist. You can play dungeons and leveling roulletes with different jobs to experience the real gameplay of the game and when u have time u do MSQ with another job.

Pretty chill man, the game is pretry flexible.

[OhnoozeMyToes]

I insist. You can play dungeons and leveling roulletes with different jobs to experience the real gameplay of the game and when u have time u do MSQ with another job.

Pretty chill man, the game is pretry flexible.

Yea you're right. I guess i just feel like I have to get the story stuff done.

[SonjaRampage]

Deep dungeon is an easy combat centric and pretty relaxing alternative

[LineageRazor]

The side quests are as much about learning more about the world and its people as they are about anything else. The biggest reason to run side quests is an honest desire to learn more lore about the game. Even the tritest of fetch quests gives you SOME kind of tidbit to learn. If you just don't care about that, give the side quests a pass; they're optional, and not otherwise that important.

That said, the exp gained from side quests is pretty close to what you get by doing MSQs. If you're like me and love every morsel of story I can get my hands on, level two jobs side-by-side, one via MSQ, the other via sidequests. In the latest expansion, I got both PLD and WHM to 80 at roughly the same time by doing this.

[Shriv]

There are a few things to do if you don't have the timeframe for extended reading/traveling around (or the proper mood for it).

(as some mentioned previously) dungeons via dungeon finder.

Completing fates / related weekly charlenges

Hunting log

Leves

All of those activites can be sort of conducted simultaneously, doing fates and hunts while in queue for dungeon.

this is all for lower leveling. as you gain higher level, several other activies can be unlocked

[Mahrze]

I’m a pretty new player so take this from my point of view but I have had some issues with leveling in the game.

Until you get to the final expansion there seems to be no reason at all to do any questing other than the msq. And yeah FFXIV seems to do a great job for story but the problem for me has been that you do very little gameplay or experiencing the world and spend most your time traveling and reading all the story text. So when I get home at night and have an hour or two to play, the last thing I want to do is read and travel around a map so I end up just playing a low lvl job and doing levees so that I can relax and get some game action.

Am I alone here?

You're right, if your goal is to get to the current, you'll stumble into the issue of way more quests than you know what to do. Game's pretty merciful in terms of leveling so the side-quests are always extra experience you can use while leveling various jobs. But being a story-centric game, it can be quite "consuming" when it comes to text and cutscenes and a few fetch quests here and there.


You can do content that puts you ahead of what you have available through MSQ, but most of the stuff is gated through story which unlocks content sidequests to unlock more stuff. Just take your time, and you'll get there.

[Nora_of_Mira]

Yea you're right. I guess i just feel like I have to get the story stuff done.

while this is true, there's no reason to rush the story. the content isnt going anywhere and you will always find people willing to do the content you need to progress/level/whatever.

I have too many friends who saw the Shadowbringers trailer, got hyped, started rushing through the story, got burnt out, and havent played in weeks/months. My best advice is just figure out what you want to spend your limited time on (sounds to me like you would benefit from roulettes and party finder once you unlock some trials) and dont worry too much about rushing through the MSQ.