Welcome back ^.^/

You can start to 8-party near level 20, on crabs close of Bloodshores.
(and maybe earlier in Shapshae)
I remember fighting on humans-like in Cassiopeia allow.
And near level 30, the famous acarus (maybe not same in english as french).

Yes, it's still choco-pull bunch of mobs

I don't think ppl uses the search system :/
Still /sh in Ul'dah

Yes there is Pld in parties, but, there was Gla/Pld before too