The "Road to 70" leveling pace (of the MSQ) should be the default

[Moomba33]

The MSQ should also gear you (at least on one job) for every next step. For me this was the case until the end of HW which is a SERIOUS oversight because it happened again at the tail end of Stormblood. That also needs to be fixed. For the new player, whose goal is potentially/likely to play with friends at the level cap, stopgaps of "go get gear" before that cap are shoddy design. I spent gil, then clued in about tomestones, but still, that was a weakness in the flow of the game.

The game does give you enough gear to get through the old patches though-you get coffers from your job quests and the patch quests themselves with high enough ilevel gear to finish the patch story. Unless you accidentally take ones for the wrong class.
You only need to grind gear once you reach the current end game.

On the overall subject I think road to 70 is overkill honestly. I started an alt on a road to 70 server and it hit 30 during copperbell mines (a level 17 quests). On occasion I've seen new players complain about severely outleveling the story because they can't do their expansion job quests to learn new skills until they reach the expansion story. And some find it awkward to be wearing gear far below their level since the quest rewards are so far beneath them.

I think it should stay as a bonus for people interested in it to help populate low pop servers. The normal leveling rate is fine, especially if you enjoy checking out the side content.

[Reap00]

This game is about the journey not only the destination. There is no need to rush to the end. It is baffling to me that people actually complain they may have to play the game to get some xp to level. I guess its best to race to the end to hang out and complain about lack of content. This is the game with the slowest content release schedule. How dare they only provide content every 3-4 months. I expect these content drops every 3-4 weeks. I want it now too!

[TheMightyMollusk]

So, busywork.

Next to the MSQ, literally everything else is busywork. That's what I'm saying. The story stands head and shoulders above literally anything else you could spend your time doing in this game, when we're talking about value of the experience.

Even with its mandatory dungeons, the story is the core of the game, and focusing people on this path only shows the game's best side. It should be all that's needed. On road to 70 it *is* pretty much all that's needed. That experience was amazing! It should be the default. That's my point.

I'm sorry that playing the game is so detrimental to your gameplay experience.

[MistakeNot]

So, busywork.

Next to the MSQ, literally everything else is busywork. That's what I'm saying. The story stands head and.

That is where you are wrong. All the sidequests are just as much part of the overall story, and adds a great deal of added background to the MSQ. Not to mention all the gear you get out of optional quest rewards and dungeons, without which you'd probably end up undergeared in many cases.
Only doing the MSQ means you missed 80% of the game.

No, I strongly disagree about "Road to 70" being a good idea for new players, and even more about it being default.
It can be useful for people who already have seen it all and are leveling up their Nth alt, but no way as default.

[Chie_M]

It's a video game, and a Final Fantasy one at that, of course it's busywork lmao. That's the point.

[xbahax92]

There are so many sidequests that actually expand on lore and tell you their story as you move on. You shouldn't just mindlessly follow the msq and ignore your surroundings. Did you unlock your challenge log yet? Catch some of FATES that are nearby, look for an FC to run your daily roulettes.
Even if you enjoy the story and burn through it, the end is soon. Sooner as you think. Once you reach that goal, you'll be upset for not having more.. cause well the story is good y'know.

[kaynide]

I don’t intend this to come off as looking down on anyone by any means, but it is very easy to level up in this game without excessive grind, especially if only 1 job. There are many options available, obviously a little grindy as it’s an MMO.

For myself, when a new expansion comes out, I typically do all MSQ on one job and simultaneously level a second job using traditional means (roulette, etc).

I never touch any side quests/random quests until the third or fourth job. So, all that said, unless you are in a huge hurry to get to max level, you will never really feel a slow grind as you can get significant so boosts with daily roulettes. Minimal effort lands at least a level a day.


Also, by and large just doing content WILL gear you fairly well. Allagan tombstones of Poetics are given like candy and will gear you at least 1/2 way into the next expansion, and if you go gimpy it could last you all the way. (So 50 tomestone gear lasts to 55ish, possibly 60 if you gimp. 60 lasts to 65 and so on).

[winsock]

I've made and leveled several characters with and without the "Road to" bonuses.

Personally, I don't mind either pace. One thing I do dislike is when you're leveling with a friend, and only one of you has a "Road to" buff.

[Barraind]

I agree to the point where I wont level an alt without road to x active.

Am I capable of doing it? Yes. Is it still a slog at times even with double the xp (which makes things go by more than twice as fast because it lets you skip some of the annoying spots where you have to grind stuff out)? Absolutely.

Doing 1 to 5.2 finished and all craft/gather maxed in 5 or 6 days is a huge difference from doing it in 13-16.