Leveling is way to fast...

[Dzian]

I'll just respond to the bad points:

1) Economy will suck for non-endgame gear no matter what. People will flood the market with cheapies that they create while leveling their crafts, so no one with any sense will try to sell them for a profit, which means unless someone is leveling a craft and happens to be grinding that item, it won't be available. Also! Most people will just convert theirs in materia. And! Once people get level 50 craft, they will only sell highest price point items for profit. Whether or not there is fast leveling, power leveling, etc. will absolutely not change this.

I disagree here. Slower paced levelling would boost the economy. It would not only make low level gear valauble but make low level materia valauable to. If you were a level 20 thm for example and you knew it would take you a few days to hit level 30 then you would most likely gear accordingly. Maybe even buy that level 20 wand with double int melded....

Another aspect of this game is almost nothing is ever resold. You buy something you use it you turn it into materia. This whole materia system reduces market flooding in a huge way. You either take those items out of the game by turning them into materia or have them blow up when people fail multi-melds.

If it took you 3-4 days at 2-3 hours a day to get from 20 -30 then you'd actually buy a decent weapon / gear and maybe even pick up melded gear at that. a level 20 wand with a couple of int2 materia or something like that would actually have some value.

A slower levelling pace would only improve the economy as a whole.

As for grinding. What it should do is be representative of endgame. For example....
--- Have the mobs in exp parties do those nasty moves you need to dodge, stun or simply run from.
--- Have exp mobs that summons adds as health depletes and teach you to kill the adds first.
and any other tactics and strategies the game currently involves or will involve in the future etc etc.

Basically make exp parties a learning curve of basic strategies you'll need to learn if you want to survive the endgame stuff. i think if the levelling process was more like that it'd be much less of a grind

[Kiara]

I disagree here. Slower paced levelling would boost the economy. It would not only make low level gear valauble but make low level materia valauable to. If you were a level 20 thm for example and you knew it would take you a few days to hit level 30 then you would most likely gear accordingly. Maybe even buy that level 20 wand with double int melded....

Another aspect of this game is almost nothing is ever resold. You buy something you use it you turn it into materia. This whole materia system reduces market flooding in a huge way. You either take those items out of the game by turning them into materia or have them blow up when people fail multi-melds.

If it took you 3-4 days at 2-3 hours a day to get from 20 -30 then you'd actually buy a decent weapon / gear and maybe even pick up melded gear at that. a level 20 wand with a couple of int2 materia or something like that would actually have some value.

Well said, Dzian.

I remember the early days on XIV, when I was in the 20 - 30 range. I eagerly looked up what my next gear upgrade would be on YG, farmed materials and/or stocked up on some in the Market Wards and found some high level crafters to help me make them. I was excited and proud to get my next Conjurer Staff or Gladiator Sword upgrade. I knew I was going to take some time going through those levels.

Current people I've talked to leveling something in the 20 - 30 range? They're using some ~Level 10+ range gear (some are even using Weathered), because they know they're blowing through these levels in a couple days.

If I had the Materia System when I was leveling back then (with slower EXP), I know I'd be excited / eager to buy Low Level Materia to try and Meld and upgrade that gear as well.