Quote Originally Posted by t0rn View Post
Hi, I just finished ARR-ShB (including post-ShB MSQs). What should I do now? Raid right away? Do I need a FC and friends? Are the side quests worth going back to complete? I'd like to know what endgame is like in this game.
Do whatever you want. FFXIV doesn't have a more hardcore combat-focused end game though there are Savage Raids, Extreme Trials and Ultimate for those who want that type of content.

You don't need a FC or friends since you always have the option of using Party Finder to find groups but personally I find it more enjoyable doing group content with players I know.

All the different things I can think of to do at end game (outside of what I already mentioned):

Level alt jobs.

Side quests - good for additional lore if you enjoy story. Many reward cosmetic items. Hildibrand is comic relief. Shadowbringers side quests will scale to your current job if it's at least 70 for additional XP. If nothing else, you'll get some gil.

Crafting/gathering. Crafting isn't a simple "grab the mats, press a button then done" system here. There are crafting actions to use just like combat actions and using them correctly impacts your success.

Housing. Start with an apartment to see if it's something you're going to enjoy. Flowerpots are an introduction to gardening and can be used in apartments. If you're enjoying it, you can work toward buying a house and getting access to the garden plots that allow intercross gardening for unique seeds.

Glamour. Collecting items to use to change your gear appearance has become a staple of MMOs. Many players spend hours trying to get just the right pieces for the looks they want.

Palace of the Dead/Heaven on High (Deep Dungeons) - randomized dungeon floors increasing in difficulty the farther you go. Good XP if you're trying to level alt jobs, also have some unique rewards. There are some achievements for soloing to the final floor.

PvP - I don't PvP myself but I know some who do enjoy it though no one is going to call it the best PvP in a MMO.

Treasure Maps - maps for various levels starting at 35 and going up to level cap. Chests contain crafting materials and some unique items. There are some maps intended for full parties that have a chance to open a portal to the treasure dungeons with even more unique items to win.

FATE farming - there are a lot of items to buy with the bi-color gemstones earned from doing Shadowbringers FATEs. It can take quite a while to earn enough to buy everything you want. There are some FATEs from every expansion era that reward achievements and/or cosmetic items. A couple of the ARR FATEs will trigger vendors that sell a few items only available if the FATEs are completed successfully.

Mount farming - the EX trials all offer a mount with a theme for the expansion the trial was introduced and each trial offering a different color variation. Getting all the mounts for an expansion unlocks a quest to get a final mount. Some of the Savage Raid fights also have a chance to drop a mount.

The Hunt - hunts offer multiple currencies as a reward used to get gear, gear augments and other items. Most worlds organize hunt trains for the Rank As that spawn a few times a day. S ranks offer a larger amount of the currencies but usually requirement special conditions to be met and have a much longer wait to respawn. There are also daily hunt bills that are personal and offer good XP if you're leveling alt jobs (except the ARR hunt bills - those aren't worth it unless you're trying to farm Allied Seals and you've completed all the Masked Carnival).

Blue Mage - speaking of Masked Carnival, BLU is a limited job. You collect spells from certain monsters as you level up. At 50 and 60, you get access to Masked Carnival challenges. There are also some achievements based around completing content in a party of only Blue Mages.

Relic Weapon farming - these are the unique weapons that were intended to be the BiS for their expansions once fully completed and have the special glow effects that many players enjoy. There is a considerable time investment to get them completed.

There's no doubt some other things I forgot to mention. End game is mostly sit back, relax and do whatever appeals to you.