MSQ bottle-neck

[KieZelle]

I picked up FFXIV a couple of weeks ago and I've been throwing myself into everything and anything, like a kid on a sugar-high.

My enthusiasm has created an MSQ bottle-neck and it's really grinding me down. I'm currently a lvl55 WHM. But I'm stuck on the never-ending lvl50 MSQs between A Realm Reborn and Heavensward. Not literally stuck, but the xp is pitiful because of my lvl difference, the gear rewards are never upgrades for me, and the story is mehhhh at this point. Seriously, I spent an entire day trying to smash through fetch-n-carry low level MSQs and by the end of it, I was asking myself if FFXIV is really for me...

I'm considering power leveling a second job (probs dps), so I can do the lvl50 MSQs on that. Just so i feel like i'm getting something out of them, then switching back to WHM when the MSQ lvls catch up. But that strategy seems extreme, and counterproductive.

My main concerns are:
1. Am i going to ruin Heavensward, and beyond, for myself by being continuously ahead of everything?
2. Is it worth leveling a 2nd job all the way to 50, or shall i just get through this part?

Would love some insight/suggestions please?
Thanks

[DrWho2010]

power creep is inevitable at this point in the games life when you are a new player. you will be overlevelled for most things. but anything solo or duty you must do you will usually be synced. the other option you have is to buy a story skip.

[Iscah]

Welcome!

It's definitely worth levelling a second class but you don't necessarily need to stop and level one from scratch.

You can go for:

• RDM and SAM which start at Lv50 (both unlocked in Ul'dah)

• GNB and DNC which start at Lv60 (Gridania and Limsa, once you reach Lv60 yourself)

• DRK, MCH and AST which start at Lv30 (unlocked in Ishgard once you reach Heavensward)

Even if you start with something lower-level you can do your daily roulettes with it while you progress MSQ with your higher class.

It's also generally good to go through the story as a DPS class since they're slower to level through dungeon queue times.

(Don't take a story skip just to get through this section of the game if you want to follow the overall plot. Important stuff happens here amidst all the tedious bits. Also do the optional Crystal Tower raids if you haven't yet.)

[KieZelle]

Welcome!

It's definitely worth levelling a second class but you don't necessarily need to stop and level one from scratch.

You can go for:

• RDM and SAM which start at Lv50 (both unlocked in Ul'dah)

(Don't take a story skip just to get through this section of the game if you want to follow the overall plot. Important stuff happens here amidst all the tedious bits. Also do the optional Crystal Tower raids if you haven't yet.)

Thanks! I might try a RDM. Yeh, i really don't want to skip story. Just that some of the more tedious sections go on forever, and when you're not getting much reward for it, the endless teleport-here-talk-to-this NPC gets old....

I dont know what Crystal Tower raids are either, so i'll check those out.

[Iscah]

I dont know what Crystal Tower raids are either, so i'll check those out.

It's a side story quest that involves a few ongoing characters like the Ironworks team and other elements that become relevant to the MSQ later, so it's good to do them for context. It unlocks three "alliance raids" which are basically 24-man dungeons.

Look for the quest Legacy of Allag from the "outlandish man" in Revenant's Toll.

[ForteNightshade]

Thanks! I might try a RDM. Yeh, i really don't want to skip story. Just that some of the more tedious sections go on forever, and when you're not getting much reward for it, the endless teleport-here-talk-to-this NPC gets old....

I dont know what Crystal Tower raids are either, so i'll check those out.

ARR is by far the worst for the sheer abundance of fetch quests. Heavenswards and beyond do a much better job trimming down the fat. So you'll likely avoid feeling the story isn't going anywhere once you get into Heavensward a bit. If you're absolutely feeling meh towards parts of the story, you could honestly skip a handful of the 2.1 to 2.3 quests. Basically, if there isn't voice acting, you can ignore it. While not necessarily ideal, it may help speed things along because that particular block is notoriously long.

On the other hand, if you just want a break from the story to try other things. I suggest unlocking Palace of the Dead, which can be done in Gridania. This is instanced content with an entirely separate leveling system that allows you to take any job all the way to 60—with a portion of that experience being carried over to your actual level outside the instanced. It's a great way to play around with new jobs and see what skills await you once they reach that level properly.

https://ffxiv.gamerescape.com/wiki/Palace_of_the_Dead

This more or less covers PotD and what to expect from it. Might help give you a little break from MSQ burn out while still enjoying the game.

[Meower007]

Dont skip story. If I were you I would focus on MSQ and not worries about over level. Your main goal should be toward reaching shadowbringer first before anything else.

Use your main to do MSQ. If you want to level second class just do daily roulettes.

[Frizze]

Being a little overleveled isnt the end of the world, as all instances you do will be level and gear sync'd. And grabbing one of the lvl 50 jobs to split the exp up a little isnt the worst idea either. The story does get better(pinky swear!). Out of curiosity, what exact part of the story are you at? As for a suggestion, try to set a managable goal. Maybe 5 or 10 quests per log in(depends on how long you play for). And if you get frustrated, take a break and do some optional content. Complete a new dungeon, run the alliance raids(youll need to do these anyway for the story soon enough, so might as well already have them done), pick a beast tribe to befriend, blow off some steam in the casino. Just something to take your mind off whatever seemingly pointless thing they asked of you. When the time comes for tying up loose ends, they dont miss many.

Totally unrelated suggestion. If a cutscene is about to start, and they warn you to set aside enough time to watch - take that seriously. Those scenes are long(longer then most dungeons) and important. Also suggested to try to keep having fun. Its still a game afterall.

[KieZelle]

Being a little overleveled isnt the end of the world, as all instances you do will be level and gear sync'd. And grabbing one of the lvl 50 jobs to split the exp up a little isnt the worst idea either. The story does get better(pinky swear!). Out of curiosity, what exact part of the story are you at?

Just before the end of ARR I was 10.lvls ahead of the MSQs. Most of that gap came from exploring other content: duty roulette, fates, GC & beast tribe leves. When I realised I was so far ahead of the MSQ line, I spent days focusing purely on MSQs and managed to claw back to just 5 levels ahead. So i guess i got burnt out from the fetch Qs because it suddenly became very obvious that's what 95% of MSQs seem to be. I'm at the point where the Scions have just moved from Waking Sands and I've started the patch 2.2 Qs. So I've still go a way to go before Heavensward -sigh. It may not seem like too much of a problem, but spending that much time grinding Qs for no player reward is frustrating. Alot of the these MSQs could've been optional side Qs IMO.

I think I'll try a RDM, or maybe an AST. I was reluctant to go dps, because I've always dps'd in other MMOs and was determined to get out of my comfort zone and main a healer. If I fall in love with a dps job i might not want to go back to my WHM and that would be a shame. Oh, the dilemmas I manage to create for myself! lol

[Frizze]

Just before the end of ARR I was 10.lvls ahead of the MSQs. Most of that gap came from exploring other content: duty roulette, fates, GC & beast tribe leves. When I realised I was so far ahead of the MSQ line, I spent days focusing purely on MSQs and managed to claw back to just 5 levels ahead. So i guess i got burnt out from the fetch Qs because it suddenly became very obvious that's what 95% of MSQs seem to be. I'm at the point where the Scions have just moved from Waking Sands and I've started the patch 2.2 Qs. So I've still go a way to go before Heavensward -sigh. It may not seem like too much of a problem, but spending that much time grinding Qs for no player reward is frustrating. Alot of the these MSQs could've been optional side Qs IMO.

Youve still got a ways to go, thats true. The start of the patchline quests are slow. A lot of the political stuff doesnt seem like its going anywhere or connected to anything. The monsters that pop up seem to be checking a box rather then having a ton of narrative pull(we havent done a water primal yet? ok, toss out leviathan). For me, i say that the turning point in the story is the fight with Ramuh(halfway through 2.3). After that the story gets more focused and things start moving a bit more quickly toward... well i wont say toward what to avoid any spoilers. As for the tedium and fetchi-ness of certain quests, a lot of those eventually end up important to the overall story. To give one example with a minor spoiler.

The doman refugees and their problems are kinda an annoyance in 2.2. But the domans struggle against the garlean empire is relatable all the same - we did just get done fighting them ourselves afterall. And their fight doesnt feel at all distant when you get recruited to the cause in 4.0.

If youre worried about falling in love with RDM, you could use it primarily for those fetchier quests. Stick with WHM for the requirements to move onward(you still have a couple required dungeons, and a handful of required trials). Another good bit of advice. If you havent done them yet, unlock and do the hard mode fights for Ifrit Titan and Garuda. The unlocks start back in the waking sands, and youll be required to do them in 2.5 if you havent gotten to them yet. Thats 3 more things to break up the MSQ grind. Oh, and dont worry about "hard mode". They took the 4 man trials, scaled them up to 8 players and added one or two new mechanics. They didnt actually make them hard(the extreme modes are the hard fights) - just in line with the fact that all trials going forward are for 8 man teams.