I just hope that crafting and gathering gets the same range of levelling options as combative classes. In general, the very vast majority of quests are for combative classes or errand running that can also be done by combative classes. I'd love to see a lot more quests for gathering and crafting, and some group levelling options for crafting and gathering. If Yoshi&co doesn't think pure combat grinding is not good enough for the 8 (or 9 after Arcanist comes out) combative classes, why would pure crafting/gathering grinding be good enough for the 8 crafting classes and 3 gathering classes? Quest grinding should be an option for all disciplines, not just a couple. Crafting/gathering/combat grinding should be an option too of course but only an option, not a compulsory part of levelling any one class any more than it is for the combative classes.

And this is coming from someone who already has all crafting and gathering classes to 50 and still needs to do some combative levelling so I'm not asking for this for myself, but rather for the crafters and gatherers that come after and deserve to be treated fairly. We don't just need enough quests to level 8 or 9 classes, we need enough to level 19 or 20 classes.

Crafters and gatherers need story lined quests and memorable characters and something to change up their levelling with more often than 1 guild based quest every 5-10 levels, aside from their errand running quests which they probably already did on combative classes.

I'd love it if crafters and gatherers even got some FATE group crafting/gathering events too. Say you're training BSM/ARM in Limsa's guild (it's the one guild for both classes if anyone is unfamiliar with it) and a furnace blows up. All of the BSM/ARM training players there can rush to repair the damage, helping the guild, getting crafting experience, working in a team for a common goal, maybe getting some sort of crafting related rewards or some sort of respect within the guild for services rendered that could help unlock other things in the store or other quests.

There's no reason for a crafter to spend their entire time levelling a craft by sitting in one spot making hundreds of the same item all day and night, then changing the item once you get too little experience from it. Gathering is slightly more active and social but not by much. I did it all as a means to an end but it lacked in so many ways that it was not enjoyable in and of itself to me. The vast majority, I think, only levelled crafting and gathering as a means to an end, to get some item or to be able to make something for someone they care about or to make money. It seems as though it was designed to test people's ability to stick though monotony or read a book while "playing". Combat and combat related content on the other hand is typically designed to be fun in it's own right, whether you're at 50 already or getting there.

I'm not saying have the crafters and gatherers able to take down Darnus hard mode, just to give them similar ranges of content and things to immerse themselves in that aren't quite so monotonous, and to give them things that only they can do on a regular basis, just like the combative classes get.


TL;DR: A lot of people focus on the mob grind vs quest grind issue of levelling combative classes. I'm trying to present this from the drastically underdeveloped angle of crafting/gathering the same item vs quest grind (of quests actually involving crafting/gathering more often then once every 5-10 levels). Let's see a range of options for all disciplines, rather than the current model of just half.