Just out of curiosity, when was the last time you played? If it was recently, you must have a vastly different experience than myself. Leves are pretty decent up until about 25. Beyond that, it's incredibly easy to find a party or make one (I have only logged in once in the last week when someone wasn't at least shouting for a 30-35 party and a 40-50 party). Quests (when you first start) are quite plentiful now and grant respectable exp. From what I have heard when speaking to newer players, you can virtually level up just on quests for the first 20 levels on your first job.