What's the best way to progress through this game for someone playing for the first time...

What's the best way to progress through this game for someone playing for the first time? Are things like FATEs still relevant? Is there anything you should just avoid because it's not worth the time or effort? This is without the expansion by the way.

MSQ. ez 60

FATEs are okay early on, but you'll want to do the main quests on your preferred class, since it's plenty of XP and you don't have to have the monotony of leves. For crafting/gathering, leves are better for powerleveling, but you'll want to actually go through the process for things you need. Gathering especially, since the XP for leves is great, it's usually handy to just get a tonne of shit which you might use later.

Are regular side quests worth it at all for anything other than more story? Appreciate it by the way.

Later on, side quests give really good HQ gear that you can either sell or use during your adventure.

Some sidequests unlock content that you want to have unlocked for later, like materia melding for equipment and there are like two or three side dungeons below level 50. It's worth doing any that are around your level at any level while trying to level up.

make absolutely sure you finish your hunt logs at the appropriate levels, pick up your hall of the novice ring (+30% exp to level 30 for any class) and unlock your challenge log (free exp for doing things you'd normally do). also when you are level 49 ish, do not use duty finder for the story dungeons. find a single level 60 player that will let you watch all the cutscenes play out for the best experience. if you use duty finder, they will speed run it and you'll have to choose between watching all the cutscenes or skipping them so you can participate in the fights. they fixed this for content above level 50, but the level 49-50 story dungeons have a really wonky design that punishes new players

to add to this, fates are still relevant for leveling all the way from level 1 to level 50, after that they start to get tedious because the exp curve shoots up for your class but stays relatively flat for fate exp rewards. it's still an option but you're better off doing level appropriate dungeons. now's a pretty good time to do fates as well since a lot of people are doing them for the yokai watch event. usually the only time fates are active is when new classes are added

There's a ring from the hall of the novice? And here I am sitting on every class at level 32.

>the aetherpool arm remains unchanged..

>it's a I need to do Fates for weeklybut there are still autists hunting digital medals episode
Yo-kai was a mistake.

>tfw wrangler's set doesn't exist

Do every sidequest you see because half of them unlock shit.

>tfw want the DRG or tank chestpiece but have never seen either one despite running 5 expert runs every week since the patch came

>SE keeps putting ass scarfs on every set.

They need to fuck off with that shit.

I only see tank, healer and nin shit, getting annoyed.

>MSQ
>do the retard trials as soon as they unlock for a 30% xp ring
>unlock your challenge log in Limsa for free stuff
>and the haircut guy because why not?
>Do each guildleve once when they unlock
>do each class/job quest as they unlock
>do fates that happen in your vicinity

Should have you over levelled for most of the trip to 50 though the stretch to 60 still sucks dick.

Rolling 99 is bullshit. Heck, rolling anything past 89 is bullshit. 90 - 99 should only be used if someone rolls the same number as another player.

>Roll 98 on Wind Up Echidna
>that sinking feeling when I know one of those other 23 fucks rolled a 99.

>do the retard trials as soon as they unlock for a 30% xp ring
what

>it's the shitter from your group who wins it
So many good rolls on Echidna and Chaliofisteri and always some shithead rolls a 99. I can deal with a better roll than mine, but not ninty-fucking-nine.

Hall of the Novice. It's right outside Aleport.

The hall of the novice quest, right outside Sastasha. Unlocks at level 15, its 7 or 8 short quests "teaching" you about how to act in groups. You get a set of level 15/16 armor and a ring that increases xp by 30% if your class is under level 30. Also grants +3 to every stat.

>Couldn't get a group for castrum for 3 weeks
>FC mate offered to run me through
>Got regular group for praetorium
>Spent 3 hours running around unlocking the level 50 dungeons/hard modes that are available
>Because I was stuck on castrum, got to 53 due to leveling roulette

Should I grind for the 120 armor, or just say fuck it, get it as I get poetics, and strive for the 200 stuff?

>Yafaemi jacket finally drops.
>Shitter summoner wins it.

Don't grind for it. You'll get better gear just doing the heavensward story.

That's what I figured. Maybe I'll just grab the weapon, since its an upgrade over the iLevel 115 crafted one I picked up. Already got full right side of HQ crafted gear, so I think i'll be good for a while.

The only time you need to worry about gear while leveling to 60 is at level 57 when you get to the Vault. Especially if you're a healer.

>no usa flag bikini to go with my cowboy hat
why

Well, that is good to know, as I main scholar. Is there quest gear that I should upgrade with at that time, or go for crafted?

>get to vault for the first time
>get to the boss
>do fine for the first half
>hit the halfway point
>chains, chess pieces and fire everywhere

i'll never forget those words.
SICKNESS MUST BE PURGED

Quest gear is HQ crafted stuff.

Not a troll question but is this game dead or alive. I never see anybody talking about it but it seems pretty fun (From having only played 4-5 hours but)

It is still alive, hardly dead. It's just the people with 2000 hours+ getting bored.

Depends on where you are. People breeze through the low level zones so quickly. You'll always find activity in the hub areas of the expansion and the main cities, and the gold saucer.

>"THIS SHALL BE A MERCY"

>FILTHY RATS

...

This is from a low to medium pop server right now, in the middle of the day on a weekend. I really need to transfer off...

Take for it what you will.