Might seem like an odd request, but anyone know of rifle glamours that look like just a typical modern carbine/rifle you'd find in real life. Don't fancy the fantasy/sci-fi/cowboy/steampunk designs myself.
EDIT: Glanced around garlandtools, found the following so far that fit what I'm looking for:
Ataktos
Cryptlurker's Pistol
Fomalhaut if you can make it all black.
Weathered Quick Silver
Special mention to the following that aren't over-the-top:
Replica Blade Ingenuity
Steel-barreled Carbine
Hellhound Handgonne
Also Antiquated Outsider for being one of the few with both a magazine and foregrip.

I'm on free trial. I have lv60 culinary and trying to get yellow crafter scrips. This guide tells me to make Rarefied Sohm Al Tart which requires at least 160 collectability/rating. Luckily after getting Adamantite Frypan and Adamantite Culinary Knife I was able to get my craftsmanship to 512 and control to 413 such that making 160 rating is not hard.
However I wonder about rotation, or what skills should I not be ignoring, etc.
Here's my rotation (always try on Trial Synthesis first):
I always start with "Muscle Memory" (this brings progress to 492 out of 503, so the final step would simply be one "Basic Synthesis" to guarantee creation). Then it's "Inner Quiet"* (for rating) followed by "Waste Not II"* (to reduce durability loss for next 8 steps). For the next 8 steps it's "Basic Touch" then "Standard Touch" (to increase quality)* After this it's gambling using "Hasty Touch" until durability is 20. By this time the rating should be 160+ (for 12 scrips) (220 for 13 and 280+ for 14). Finalize it with "Byregot's Blessing" to boost up the rating (since you'd have plenty of stacks of Inner Quiet) and complete it with "Basic Synthesis".
*Choose either "Tricks of the Trade" or "Precise Touch" if condition is good or excellent. I usually pick the former just because I need the CP more.
​
Thoughts? Thanks.

I haven't played in a couple years, but I've been thinking about returning. I know I might be the only person on the planet who's sad about a bunch of the MSQs being deleted from the game, but I always feel a bit bummed out when stuff is removed from an online game, because that usually means it's gone forever. I'm also a big fan of lore, and when lore gets yeeted out of an MMO due to quests or cutscenes being removed, I get all :( about it.
Shortly before the removal of those quests, Yoshida said in an interview that they would be turned into sidequests and made optional.
But if new players still want to experience all of the content that was in the vanilla release of FF14, Yoshida has words of reassurance. "Those quests that are decommissioned, we didn't really remove them completely," he says. "We moved them to side quests. For anyone who has the time and wants to dig more for lore and stuff like that, then they can spend time on it." ( https://www.eurogamer.net/articles/2020-07-22-final-fantasy-14s-big-5-3-patch-opens-up-the-path-to-new-players )
I haven't played since that patch came out, but I've been occasionally checking the consolegameswiki and gamerescape wiki for any sign of the new, optional sidequest versions of the removed main story quests. So far there hasn't been any sign of them. The original mandatory versions of the quests have been marked as removed from the game, but as for the new optional versions that Yoshi-P said would be there for people who want to experience all of the original ARR content, I haven't found a trace of them.
Does anyone know anything more about this than I do? Was it a mistranslation, are the new optional versions of the quests in-game and the wikis just haven't been updated to reflect that, or are they coming in a future patch?

Hello! Along with the latest spoilers and all the recent interest in Ivalician lore as a result, I thought I would make a guide to get into games set in the Ivalice universe for the people who want to know more and maybe try these games out. Having an understanding of Ivalice helps a lot with the understanding of the lore and story of FFXIV since they have a lot of similarities. Koji Fox had even said that FFXII was the game they wanted to borrow from since 2014.

MCKF: [...] Final Fantasy is about borrowing, taking things other Final Fantasies did and adjusting it and making it your own. The fact that the XIV team has a lot of people that worked on XII—our main scenario writer, Maehiro-san, also worked on XII, Minagawa-san, the guy that did all of the UI, also XII, he’s working with us, and also Yoshida-san himself being a fan of Final Fantasy XII—this is one of the games they wanted to borrow heavily from because they thought it was really cool, and they really liked the imagery and lore that it had. So they want to borrow from it, and of course they know Final Fantasy XII has its story, and they don’t want to take that story and put it into XIV, because it’s not XIV, it’s XII, but they want to draw on that imagery and those connections. It’s not random, but it might not be as deep a meaning as you think it is. Other things might be, but that’s all I can say… (Source)

Why should I care about Ivalice games?
Final Fantasy XIV is inspired a lot by games set in the Ivalice universe for several reasons:

• Many of the people who worked on FFXII are involved in FFXIV and are occupying lead roles, from story to 3D animation to art direction. (Source)
• Naoki Yoshida himself is a huge fan of Ivalice and Matsuno (the creator of Ivalice), claiming as far that the reason he joined Square was for the opportunity to work with Matsuno. (Source)
• Kazutoyo Maehiro was the main writer of ARR and Heavensward and is currently scenario director of the game. He worked on every Ivalice games and claimed Matsuno was a huge influence on his writing in a live letter (Source). This means that the story is still going along the key points that he laid out as its creator and he supervises it even today.
• More obviously, an entire Alliance Raid was dedicated to Ivalice, not to mention that Ivalice imagery and architecture is still very present throughout the game (and let's not talk about the huge amount of 3D models coming from FFXII being inserted in 14).
• Also, Vieras.

FFXIV is also known for being a highly political game, which is something that it shares in common with Ivalice games. We could also talk about how the battle director said that the current trust system used the gambit system of FFXII as a base, but that's a subject for another time.
All of this to say, it is hard to ignore these games and their influence looming over Final Fantasy XIV, and there is much to learn in looking to what inspired FFXIV to become the success it is today.
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FINAL FANTASY TACTICS

Recommended version: The War of the Lions (PSP), also playable on Vita, Vita TV, iOS and Android.
The game that started it all. Final Fantasy Tactics set itself apart from the rest by being a deep strategy RPG focusing on politics and human drama on a medieval backdrop. It follows the story of Ramza Beoulve and Delita Heiral navigating through a treacherous political landscape full of backstabbing and deciding whether or they should stick to their ideals or discard them for a more practical course for action.
It is a heartwrenching story full of dramatic moments that will leave you shocked. The direction that characters will take through the course of the story will keep surprising you but will always feel logical and organic considering everything they've been through. It still enjoys a sizeable fanbase today that will scream at every rooftop about how it is secretly the best Final Fantasy and you wouldn't blame them considering everything the game offered to the table. It was the pioneer of offering a different kind of story focusing on mature, more adult writing in the Final Fantasy series, something that FFXIV has followed on its footsteps.
How important it is: Very. This is where it all started and it is still considered a pillar of Ivalice. If you have played FFXIV, you will find yourself right at home.
What else should I know?: Keep in mind that the game has been entirely retranslated with the PSP remaster, and it has become the de facto official translation for Square. You will miss on many references and names if you play the PS1 version instead because it did a lot of things differently at a time where game localization was still mostly terrible.

VAGRANT STORY

Recommended version: PS1, also playable on PS3, PSP and PS Vita through PS1 Classic.
While its place as an Ivalice game has always been put into question, Square Enix officially consider it so. Vagrant Story is probably the most mature game Square had ever put out, which had ironically worked against the game. It is a hardcore RPG where you control one man going through the depths of a ruined city to uncover a conspiracy involving the government, the church and more. It has a very Rashomon-esque setup in which the "truth" is different depending on who you talk to, giving a lot of interpretation of how the story unfolds and what really happened.. It also takes a lot of skill and understanding to play through the game but it was a huge precursor to games like the Souls series with its fully interconnected metroidvania-esque map, its high amount of difficulty and its deep level of customization and crafting.
Vagrant Story is known for its strong cast of characters, especially for its famously sympathetic & tragic villain, Sydney Losstarot, which is also a trait that FFXIV adopted to great effect.
Vagrant Story is also famous for being a JRPG that starred Ashley Riot, a well-built man in his prime, rather than another plucky teenager. Japanese players almost universally hated this change of pace, despite Ashley being an extremely well-written character. It gave Squaresoft and later Square-Enix the evidence they needed that they have to stick to their guns.
How important it is: While being quite difficult to play today, Vagrant Story is definitely worth doing only for how good its story is. Anyone craving for complex villains that are extremely compelling and sympathetic, you will find yourself right at home.

FINAL FANTASY XII

Recommended version: The Zodiac Age on PS4/PC/Xbox One/Switch
This was the game that made Ivalice big. Hironobu Sakaguchi, the creator of the series, was so moved by Vagrant Story that he personally entrusted the future of the series to Yasumi Matsuno and even called himself his biggest fan. It became the series' most ambitious project to date, making a ton of sweeping changes that became extremely influential for FFXIV but also other games. Most of all, it had a huge focus on lore and worldbuilding that was very unusual for the series and made Ivalice stand out among every other Final Fantasy universe (just look at this art!).
FFXII is happening after a terrible war that the kingdom of Dalmasca lost, where the people of the kingdom are suffering under the oppression of the Empire. FFXII examines various aspects of struggle, oppression, freedom and found family and goes as far as examining what free will really means. It has a ton of things to explore and learn and has a lot of compelling characters that are extremely well written. Its writer even said no one is truly evil in this game, it's all a matter of clashing ideologies and the conviction to make them a reality, which does remind a lot of FFXIV, which also has a great story that doesn't just rely on galactic threats but believable villains and protagonists.
Final Fantasy XII was very different from what happened before in the series because of how subtle and demanding it is to the player. One missed cue could have ripple effects in the understanding of the story and themes whereas the series was always often extremely easy to understand and holding your hand throughout. FFXIV is very similar to this approach, where you have to take into account various factors in order to get the full picture rather than just rushing through the story. It demanded to talk to NPCs, go through various sidequests, soak up what the environment is telling you.
How important it is: It has the most in common with FFXIV in terms of story beats, lore and staff who worked on both games. Many people highlighted the similarities between Archades and Garlemald or the Ascians and the Occuria. You would find yourself right at home playing this game and you would stand to learn the most by playing this game.

FINAL FANTASY XII: REVENANT WINGS

Recommended version: DS
The DS sequel of FFXII was in fact not worked on by the people who worked on FFXII. It was directed by Motomu Toriyama, who was a designer on FFX and the director of FFXIII. It's a bit more character driven but gives up most of the drama and politics of FFXII in the process. It also gives up the turn based gameplay for a RTS style where you summon units and send them to enemies in real time. It's a cute little game to play but it's generally not considered to be an essential because of the small involvement of the staff in the series.
How important it is: It's nice if you want more food after FFXII but it's not something that is going to heighten your enjoyment of FF14 further.

FINAL FANTASY TACTICS ADVANCE

Recommended version: GBA, no other version has been released
A spin-off series of Tactics for the GBA. It's a game that was more aimed at children, but still keep the great writing the series is known for. It features a fictional version of Ivalice where children living with various issues in their life gets sucked in and have the ability to live out their fantasies instead of living through their problems at home. It's still a great game today with a great music and tons of heart. It was the game that first featured races like Bangaa, Moogles or Viera, but Akihiko Yoshida had said that these races were first made for FFXII and then used for Tactics Advance, since FFXII took so long to make.
How important it is: Not very, Ivalice being fictional makes it less interesting, but even if it was, it's still a spin-off for kids. However, it's still a very fun game to play that is much better written than its usual kind.

FINAL FANTASY TACTICS ADVANCE 2

Recommended version: DS
The sequel to Tactics is this time happening in the real Ivalice, a few years after Final Fantasy XII, where you even get to meet Vaan & Penelo as full-fledged Sky Pirates! It is still a game primarily aimed at children and while the plot took a hit, it's even more fun to play! The lore is now more in line with the official, canon one but it doesn't have much that you wouldn't have learned in Final Fantasy XII already.
How important it is: Just like Advance, not very, despite being in the same world as the real Ivalice this time. However it is a good game to play as a sequel to FFXII, even if it doesn't reach the highs of the latter.
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TIMELINE

What is the timeline of Ivalice games? It gets a bit weird but it isn't hard to understand.
Final Fantasy XII -> Revenant Wings -> Advance 2 -> Tactics -> Vagrant Story
While many think that Tactics is set before FFXII because it has a no-nonsense medieval fantasy vibe, it is set more than a millennia after FFXII. A huge cataclysm happened that seemingly wiped out civilization as they knew it and most of the races from FFXII with it. Of course, this is just from the point of view of one region of Ivalice, so things may appear to be different from what we know. So FFXII is to Allags what Tactics may be to FFXIV's current time: rediscovering powers and weapons from a lost civilization.
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What should I play in priority as a fan of FFXIV?

Final Fantasy XII is going to be the big one. FFXIV owes a lot to FFXII's legacy for reasons I laid out early in the post. It has the biggest lore and worldbuilding out of the Ivalice series and is also the closest to FFXIV's feel in terms of politics and drama. It is basically the anchor of Ivalice as we know it.
Final Fantasy Tactics is the other big one that FFXIV takes a lot of inspiration from. Full of big character drama, it basically paved the way for the FF series to feature mature and adult storylines full of believable and striking characters.
Vagrant Story is the last one I'd heartily recommend, but the last one you should play. This game is difficult, but it really delivered in terms of story and dialogue and characters, especially when it comes to deep, well-written sympathetic villains. If you loved Emet, you will love Vagrant Story a LOT. Vagrant Story was the game that inspired both FFXII and FFXIV to feature intros and outros for bosses for example.
These three games make up a lot of the backbone of FFXIV, both in the amount of staff who worked on these games now working on FFXIV, to the amount of inspiration FFXIV takes from it. I would also recommend Tactics Ogre, which isn't an Ivalice game, but it is very similar and also made by Matsuno. It is Naoki Yoshida's favorite game ever, and Banri Oda, MSQ writer, even went as far to say that FFXIV wouldn't have had its brand of politics today if he hadn't played Tactics Ogre.
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That's all I can provide but I hope it helps for you folks if you ever want to check those games. If you have any questions I'd love to answer them in the comments.

We are finally on the last 3 weeks to 5.3 ! While taking a break from FF14 is of course always highly encouraged - I took the downtime as a chance to clean out old nooks and crannies in the game I had simply ignored in busier times. Maybe this list can help you find something you would like doing!

• Doing your first HW relic. I am someone who does not like super glowy weapons and so skipped doing any AAR and HW weapons. However I noticed a minion in the HW questline and set out to finally do one. This is a huge poetics sink... so it also kind of bleeds into doing other stuff in the game. To my big surprise there actually was a substantial amount of story hidden here. I only expected it to be a "Go NPC A and deliver stuff and then go NPC B thing".
  
• BLU Mage things. When BLU was new I 100% ignored it. I however found out that the /headache emote is locked behind level 60 BLU. What I found was rich sidecontent with a cool arena minigame, hunting spells together and clearing out your BLU log. I actually fell in love with BLU so much that I went out of my way to find a small static to do SAVAGE content with it. Just last week I got my Morbol mount. BLU works on the basis of Allied Seals and Poetics, so if you do a HW relic you can combine those two. For EU I used the Blue Mage Savage Innitiative Discord. It is not super active but still very helpful! https://discord.gg/ervV7s9
  
• Eureka. Whenever the content of a patch slows down Eureka rises back up into activity. I have cleared it a long time ago, however I do occasonally enjoy a run of Baldesian Arsenal just for the community sake of it and nurturing the newbies into the content.
  
• Collecting Orchestrion Scrolls. I went out of my way to collect all the music possible via ingame means. Partially it was a junk of gil investment but also crafting all the damaged rolls from Trials myself. I farmed some things like Alphascape 3.0. Hunting down the scrolls lead me into more nooks that I had ignored like....
  
• Majong. I actually started learning Majong during the lockdown. Not very successful but... a start. My only Orchestrion Scroll obtainable through ingame means is still locked in there. I will get there eventually.
  
• Another path of my Orchestrion obsession led me into PotD. I has always ignored Deep Dungeons as I found them incredibly boring just leveling with my FC. After some digging I joined the only active Deep Dungeon community out there at https://discord.gg/csC9qZE . I was lucky enough to join up with some more veteran players and after a while I had my PotD 200 clear in my pocket. Then I moved on to HoH and got my Horse mount for clearing it 4x also. I enjoyed Deep Dungeons a lot more in the higher stages with the threat of losing it all and enemies hitting like trucks.
  
• Hunt down mounts. I finally finished up old trial mounts in HW and SB. I was able to solo Bismark EX on DNC with massive burst and Nidhogg EX on PLD by endurance. Somehow the gods were pleased and gave me the mount drop on my first solo success ! The rest was mostly a PF experience.
  
• Sidequests. There are some sidequests in this game that have a pretty big and fleshed out story but are not exactly rubbed in your face. I found the first two with the New Game+ feature. https://ffxiv.gamerescape.com/wiki/Category:Scholasticate_Quests & https://ffxiv.consolegameswiki.com/wiki/Tales_of_the_Dragonsong_War_Quests . As addition both of them will give you an emote. The last one is pretty much hidden unless you know where to look https://ffxiv.consolegameswiki.com/wiki/Delivery_Moogle_Quests . The delivery moogle quest has a surprising amount of character story hidden inside its depths. I was once again surprised.
  
• Emotes. As mentioned in the Sidequests there are quite some emotes to hunt down for you. Some are from special vendors like the BLU one. Others drop in Eureka that can also be traded for gil. Emotes for me are basically a big part of pimping out your character.
  
• Rival Wings! I enjoy this PvP mode a lot, especially during Mogtome events. I had already finished grinding out my two mounts in the past. However I enjoy a few rounds every so often anyway. Keep up to date when people try to pop the queue here: https://discord.gg/revivalwings
  
• Hunt ALL THE THINGS! https://ffxivcollect.com/ Nowadays I use this website to find things hidden inside quests, events and obscure vendors. I use it sort of like a Bounty Board to set new goals for myself. For mounts and minions you can link your character to the website for convinience. Hunting things like emotes you have to do the checkmarks on your own.
  
• Fix up your HUD and manage your inventory. I know some of you have this horrible clutter on screen. Why not take some time to make everything neat? You also have this dusty old stuff at your Retainers you never found time to dispose.
  
• Store up 10 000 Skybuilders Scrips to make some bank when the next stage gets introduced.
  
• Very niche but there are some communities out there that devote themself to synced minimum ilevel runs of old content. If you love a little bit of pain... this can be amazingly fun !
  

Hello folks,
I was looking around for thoughts on the best FF14 sites out there and the latest post about it on this sub that I saw was a few years old... I wonder what places folks go to these days for both general content and gameplay guides / strategy?
While I am familiar with Gamerescape, I wish FF14 had an icy-veins and/or wowhead equivalent. More in-depth, curated and easy to digest gameplay guide content.
For commentary/articles about the game I enjoy MassivelyOP's FF14 section, but the amount of content is limited since the site covers all MMO's.
Any essential spots you guys like?

This is a work in progress of a new player primer and guide as the old one is nearly 3 years old. Let me know what you think.
Edit: August 25th: updated for current trial changes.
So you're a new or prospective player with questions. Well I'm going to try and answer the big ones.

Questions about getting started

• Is it a good time to get into FFXIV?: Yes. FFXIV launched it's third expansion in Summer 2019 and it is one of the most critically acclaimed games from last year and most acclaimed MMO expansions. Class balance is fantastic right now. Playerbase is growing and active. There is regular content every few months (main patches with smaller updates between) and just an absurd amount of content to do.
• Does this game require parties?: It is pretty heavy on 4 person dungeons and 8 person boss fights but there is fantastic matchmaking.
• What is endgame like?: Endgame is really whatever you want. There is high end raiding, master trader crafters and gatherers, Housing, Roleplay, a really great glamour system. optiosn are pretty endless.
• How do I start?: do the free trial first. It's free, doesn't require a subscription and lets you get to level 60 on ALL jobs and classes that are part of the base game or Heavensward, the first expansion.
• Does World or Data Center matter?: Data Center matters a good bit, worlds less. You can party up with and match with anyone on your data center. The only restriction to Worlds are you can only be in a Free Company (Clan) based in your world. They do have Fellowships and linkshells that are cross-world. If you have friends on a world definitely try and play on that world as it's better ot be in the same world. Here is a summary of world statuses. Congested worlds cannot take new characters. Preferred worlds give double experience until you reach 70 for 90 days. Standard worlds are standard. Standard or even Preferred worlds can temporarily block character creation during peak windows if they are higher on population; try during lighter windows such as early in the morning. World status is updated with non hotfix updates. Transferring later costs $18 USD. Some worlds on the Europe data centers focus on certain languages. Some worlds also focus on roleplay if that's what you want.
• How do I buy if I like it?: There is the Starter Edition which is $20 USD and included the base game and Heavensward; this will get rid of trial restrictions. Shadowbringers expansion is $40 USD and includes the prior expansion Stormblood. There is also a complete Edition with both of those for $60 USD. Starter edition or completed edition include 30 days of game time.
• How do I get everything setup?: Generally through SE's website for this game called Mogstation. Link
• For PC should I buy from Steam or Square Enix?: Both are fine BUT you are locked to that environment for PC forever. If the steam servers are down you may not be able to play; there are some technical workarounds but they may change as SE updates the launcher. Square Enix is a little safer. I've seen sales on both platforms but they usually are at different times.
• Is there a subscription?: Yes. It is $13 for one character per world or $15 for up to 8 characters per world. This is world not Data Center.
• Is this subscription worth it?: No one can tell you what your money is worth. I personally have spent much less money per hour of playtime in FFXIV than I have with almost any other game. I do recommend paying month to month or with time cards so you can more regularly evaluate your subscription.
• What matters in character creation?: Very little. Race matters extremely little to stats at all. Same for chosen deity. Starting class only chooses which city you start in and this only matters for the first 15 levels. You can level every single class and job on one character and it is awesome. Appearance can be changed with an item called a Fantasia. You get one for free after beating the base game story (around level 50). They can also be purchased on the game store for $10 (less if bought in multiples). Name can be changed for $10.
• Is there a referral program?: There is. Another player can give you a refer a friend code which you need to enter before you pay your first subscription. The referrer gets some rewards and the new player gets some gear including a headband which boosts experience below level 25.

So you've played for a little and are overwhelmed? Here I will try and help out.

New player tips:

• Is there a wiki?: There are two really: Consolegames and GamerEscape. Consolegames is better for quests and Gamerescape is better for item information in my experience.
• What should I be doing?: generally when in doubt do your main story (MSQ, quest symbols that look like meteors). Side quests with + signs and blue backgrounds unlock new things. Normal gold quest markers are side quests and may give gear or items or jut experience. Do your job quests as you play as they give gear and new skills. But also do what you enjoy. There's a lot of freedom.
• How do classes work?: Classes and jobs are classified as DPS, healers and tanks. Normal parties require 2 DPS, one healer, and one tank. Classes can be upgraded to jobs at level 30 by following job quests. Jobs are stronger and better in every way. Expansion jobs don't have classes. Arcanist can become two jobs: Scholar and Summoner which are a healer and DPS respectively. Classes info and Jobs info. You can level every single job on one character. Every class or job has a different level but shares story progression. Jobs lower than your highest level job get boosted experience.
• How do I play my class/job?: There are good guides online but they focus mostly on endgame. Read your tooltips. There is also SE's job guide which gives some tips and has all the tooltips conveniently. It also just takes practice. Don't have to be perfect Day 1, just keep trying.
• How do I play my role?: There is a great in-game training tool called Hall of the Novice. It is available in any of the major cities at an NPC called the Smith who has a big sprout icon above his head. This training is pretty basic but really helps. It also gives a good set of level 15 armor that can last at least 5 levels and a ring that boosts experience until level 30. What gear do I equip and where from?: In the character menu there's a recommended equipment button. Use that. There's some niches when it doesn't work but starting out it's fine. Gear can be obtained from quests, vendors, crafting or dungeons. Job must match your class or role.
• How do I level?: the MSQ will cover nearly all your leveling on your first class/job. In expansions you may have to supplement with other tools. For the first 15 levels your Hunt log is really solid experience; just pull it up and kill the things it tells you to the number of times it tells you to. Dungeons starting at 15 become a really good source of experience. Dungeons do have matchmaking time which can be longer for dps. There is a role neutral deep dungeon called Palace of the Dead which is available starting at level 17 (being role neutral you may not learn your job well for the rest of the game). FATEs (world events) can help a little but generally don't give great experience till later expansions. Roulettes give boosted experience once a day and are good.
• What are roulettes and why should I do them?: These mostly focus on dungeons and trials. A roulette is a general category of matchmaking. There is a Dungeon leveling roulette, a trial (boss fight) roulette, a normal raid roulette, an alliance raid roulette (24 player raid), Expert roulette (max level newest dungeons), PvP roulette and a couple other. The experience bonus is huge from roulettes. It also gives currencies for use at current and previous endgame level caps (50, 60, 70, 80). It's really great at incentivizing more experienced players to get matched with newer players and ensure you have good matchmaking for your story instances.
• How do I level Faster?: As mentioned above, classes/jobs lower than your highest level class/job get boosted experience (+100% under 70, +50% under 80). The Brand New Ring from Hall of the Novice gives +30% experience under level 30. The Friendship circlet from refer a friend gives +20% experience under level 25 (recommend gear will unequip this so you may have to overwrite that). All food items give +3% experience.
• What's the best class/job?: The current class balance is very, very good. There are differences but they are extremely slight. Some roles may be better in certain fights due to mechanics. It largely comes down to opinion, aesthetic and personal preference. Try as much as you can. That's the easiest way to find out. Otherwise ask people what they like.
• How do I unlock expansion jobs?: Heavensward (first expansion) jobs (Dark Knight, Machinist, and Astrologian) cannot be unlocked until you reach the Heavenward story (around 100 quests post level 50). You unlock these in the main city of that expansion in Ishgard. HW jobs start at level 30. Stormblood (second expansion) jobs (Samurai and Red Mage) are a bit easier. You have to have a level 50 job and they will start at level 50. Shadowbringers jobs require being level 60 and start at level 60.
• How do I get to endgame?: hit level 80 and complete all the current story. It will take a while. I don't recommend you rush. You can level and story boost for money but you really miss out on a lot of enjoyable content.
• How do I dye and glamour?: Dyeing is unlocked at level 15 near the Waking Sands. Dyeing requires dye for however many items you want to dye. These can be crafted, purchased from vendors or purchased on the market board. Glamours are unlocked at level 15 as well near the Waking Sands. Glamour lets you cast the appearance of an item onto another item. Doing this costs a glamour prism. You can only glamour things to a job that would already be equippable. So no job specific gear on different jobs. If you will be glamouring a lot use glamour plates and the glamour chest in any inn in a major town. Glamour plates let you setup a glamour loadout from items in your glamour chest and apply it at will if you are in a major town. You can even link it to a loadout. With plates and the glamour chest you only use glamour prisms when you put something in the glamour chest. Quest items can be stored in another container called the armoire for free.
• What can I change on my appearance?: for gil you can change your hair and makeup and related things through the Aesthetician in inns. A potion called a Fantasia lets you do a full appearance and race change. You get one after completing the base game story at level 50. Others can be bought for $10 USD on the game store.
• When do I get a mount?: Level 20 from the quest My Little Chocobo once you join a grand company (in game factions). Mounts can fly once you clear the base game story. In Expansion areas you have to do quests and collect aether currents for the area you want to fly in. You're also not stuck using your starting mount: you can acquire many mounts from many sources.
• What about crafting and gathering?: These are definitely helpful. You won't need them for your first job but they can help get gear and make some money in game. If crafting it is helpful to also level gatherers so you can be self sufficient on resources. If crafting you generally need to level 7 out of 8 of the crafter roles as they all rely on eachother. The exception is Culinarian which uses a different resource pool entirely. On gatherers you need Botanist and Minor for most crafts. Fisher is generally on its own but feeds into Culinarian.

If you have more questions:

• Google can usually help.
• Check the wikis.
• Ask other players.
• The subreddit has a daily questions thread which is very helpful.
• You can also post your question as a topic.

Good luck!

EDIT: Wow! I never expected so much interaction on this post. I just wanted to write something up to share with new members to our Fc and just thought to post it here too in case it helped someone. Never really thought it would go anywhere. Some of you are probably laughing to my reaction to just 233 likes, and 50 comments, but I'm flabbergasted, thank you all! I will take your comments into consideration and write up an update to this with your suggestions. Thank you all kindly!
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La HEE Adventurers! (if you don’t know what that is, it’s a Shadowbringers thing, and the way I say hello and goodbye,...not in real life of course, because that would be weird :)
I have been playing the game since January, I’m a level 80 Summoner and currently working on my Edengate gear, and a million other things :)
I have not used a levelling potion and have experienced the story in its entirety (as should everyone or believe me you are not truly enjoying the game, but you do you, I mean I won’t judge...actually I will but does it matter...no.)
I have been fortunate to join the game having friends who are veterans already available to me, so I was guided through a lot of things that I might have struggled to find out on my own (the game sometimes does not clearly tell you these things, or there is so much to digest all at once that you might not notice or just forget things.
Sooooo, the aim of this post is to provide a comprehensive-ish (as much as I can, I’m sure I will forget something) guide to newcomers, explaining what the important things are that you should know, not skip, do etc., as well as link to some resources that I have found to be invaluable while learning the game.
I know there are similar posts available, but my aim was to consolidate everything into one post instead of having to hunt down everything you need.
Also, this guide is intended for new players to FFXIV, that means I know that there are things I did not mention or talk about. This is not meant as a complete guide for everything in the game, just a guide to alleviate the feeling of “holy crap, there is so much to keep track of/ what do I do now” that we all got (at least I did) when you first get into the game. I am assuming you can discover the rest on your own.
P.S. Links for all useful/interesting/must have/etc. are at the end of the guide.
So without further ado,
​
​

RAF Code:

Once you decide that you are going to pay for a subscription to the game make sure you use a recruit a friend code BEFORE, I REPEAT, BEFORE you pay for the subscription. You cannot use it after. Why would you want to use one? Check this link https://na.finalfantasyxiv.com/lodestone/special/friend_recruit/
If you have friends playing the game then get them to send you one since you both benefit from it, if not I am more than happy to provide codes to whoever reaches out and asks for one. Or you can look here on Reddit for one on the RAF subreddit.

Don’t Panic:

When you first start the game you will be bombarded with a ridiculous amount of information, do not let that intimidate you, we are the Warrior of Light, we don’t get intimidated by information! You will not have to know all of it immediately anyway. You will naturally get to know what all the different aspects of the game are as you play and do things, so just relax, that's what I’m here for...we got this!

Your HUD:

You will be spending quite some time configuring and rearranging your HUD, and I recommend that you do so. The more time you spend playing the game, the better you start to get, the more abilities/skills you unlock; which will require you to probably rearrange things every now and then. The game allows you to save different HUD layouts that you can switch between which is also great. This channel has some decent explanations for how to set up your HUD and what the settings are for. Work to Game

Playing with a Controller:

I personally play with a controller (and it is one of the best MMORPG controller experiences I have had), and there are some options/functions available that again the game might not tell you about.
There is a channel on Youtube called “Work to Game”, they have an excellent collection of controller settings and functions, and how to set it up videos. They also have great videos on the settings in general which are very useful to go through.

MSQ:

Main story quests. This is your bread and butter. You get enough exp from these quests to take you to level cap. Those are the quests whose icon looks like it has a flame around it or some people say looks like a meteor. If you ever forget what or where the quest is just look up to the left corner of your screen, it tells you what the next quest is and where. DO NOT waste your time, in the beginning, levelling up through the seemingly infinite other side quests that are available, reason being, you will be levelling your character but not unlocking important aspects of the game that only unlock by doing the MSQs and the next type of quests that I will talk about.

Blue Plus Sign Quests:

Some NPCs in the game will have a quest marker above their heads that is blue with a plus + sign. These are not main story quests, but they are extremely important to do because once again a lot of the game's features/things you can do will be locked behind one of those quests.

Jobs/Classes:

You can become everything in this game with the same character! i.e. there are no limitations to how many jobs, classes you can do. If you are willing to put in the time, then you can do it.
You: Infinite!! You mean I can be ALL the Tanks?
Me: you can be EVERYTHING!

Levelling Philosophy:

I will say something that will sound contradictory here but hear me out, there is a reason I promise.
DO NOT try to level multiple all classes to cap in parallel i.e. at the same time, because you will burn out.
“But wouldn’t I burn out from just focusing on the one class the whole time?!” I hear you say...well here’s what I mean; there is a tonne of functionality, features, mini-games, abilities, etc. that only become available to you once you hit certain levels/do specific missions (MSQ/blue plus quests). So you won’t be having as much fun as you can because you won’t be unlocking all these things. Once you hit 50, you can start branching out comfortably, you'll know enough by then to do whatever. Who knows, you might even just want to spend your time fishing (I like doing that btw), just find your groove and enjoy it.
Edit: there is some good advice on this in the comments. Thanks for all the info guys :)
You will receive something that is called a class/job quest every 5 levels in the game. Do these quests the minute you get them because they will usually unlock abilities, etc. for your character. Seriously, when you get those, drop everything else you are doing and go do them first.
Same as your MSQs, if you ever forget or don’t know if you have a class quest to do, you can look at the top left corner and it will be under the MSQ icon.
Make use of your Hunting Log (a list of mobs that if you kill will give you a lot of xp) especially in the early stages of the game, it’s just super easy xp so don’t forget it. Here is a link to all of them https://ffxiv.consolegameswiki.com/wiki/Hunting_Log
DO your DAILIES! Once you unlock the “Duty Finder”(where you can join dungeons/instances/raids etc) there is a section in there that will have something called “roulettes” Do not ignore these, you get a crap tonne of xp from doing your daily roulettes so do them!

Rested Experience:

When you log out of the game, make sure that you log out in a city or just next to any Aetheryte (the blue crystals that you use to teleport in the game world), that means you are in a sanctuary. You can tell you are in a sanctuary because next to your xp bar there will be a little crescent shape.
When you do that you get something called rested exp, you can tell you have rested exp because your xp bar which is normally yellow, will start to look like it’s filling up with blue (that is your rested exp). This is really important because it basically increases your exp gain by 50% which is freakin awesomesauce.
The only way to get it is to “rest” or log out in a sanctuary.

Food:

For the love of The Twelve, please make sure that you are eating all the time, not like a snack while you are gaming, I mean the in-game food. It gives you some stat effects and whatnot but the real reason we do this is for the sweet 3% boost to your exp gain, and that stacks with the rested exp I mentioned in the previous point. So when you are not eating you are literally leaving exp behind...YOU MONSTER! We leave NO ONE behind!
If you don’t have money to get any type of food early on, here is a pro tip: Ask...that’s it, literally ask anyone around you, and I am sure 7 out of 10 people will give you at least 100 of whatever they have. If you ever see me in the game and you want food, just reach out, I usually have a bunch in my saddle bag for such occasions.

Levequests:

Levequests are unlocked at level 10. I won’t go too deep into them, just know that they are another way that you can use to gain xp/gil. I would still stick to your MSQs, and daily roulettes for your main xp levelling, then maybe supplement through levequests if need be.
Here is a link with much more detail https://www.ffxivguild.com/ff14-levequests-guide-levemetes/

Challenge Log:

The challenge log is also another way to make very decent xp/gil/seals. Basically, it’s a list of various things to do across the many different activities the game offers; for example “complete 3 dungeons” etc.
Check it out here https://ffxiv.consolegameswiki.com/wiki/Challenge_Log

Hall of the Novice:

This is a nice feature in the game that becomes available once you reach level 15 that is basically a training tutorial for all the various classes you can be. I highly recommend doing this since it will teach you about various mechanics in the game, and hopefully get you comfortable with your class. Also, you get some gear, decent experience, and a ring that will give you a 30% exp boost till level 30 which again is awesomesauce.

Free Company:

A Free Company is what “guilds” are called in FFXIV. You can join one anytime by getting invited to one. I won’t get into the details of what are the benefits of joining one, you can easily google that; I will say however to take your time finding an FC that you mesh/gel with. You can do that through talking to people you run into in the game or you can check out this subreddit https://www.reddit.com/FFXIVRECRUITMENT/, I recommend the former though. Take your time to find a group that you fit with.
My FC is on Behemoth. We are a very chilled, working adults filled guild. What that means is, there are no obligations or requirements from anyone to play except one, "Don't be an asshole to others", we get that life is more important and you need to deal with it sometimes, so play the way that makes you happy, and enjoy the game. The game should be a fun release from life, not a chore.
If that sounds like something you could be a part of you are more than welcome to check us out, the FC's name is Cascadia. You can take a look here https://na.finalfantasyxiv.com/lodestone/freecompany/9234349560946493050/membe

Grand Companies:

Just keep doing your MSQs and eventually, you will unlock the option to Join one of three Grand Companies. I will not go into detail about what they are and the lore too much, but just know that it is important to join one (does not matter which one, totally up to you), and to level up your rank. Why? Because again, unlocks, unlocks, unlocks. I’ll try to keep this part as concise as I can:

• Eventually, you will unlock Retainers (explained in another point), and to get them to do stuff, you need Grand Company Seals.
• Eventually, you will have more gear than you know what to do with, and it will eat up your inventory space. Instead of selling it for peanuts, you can exchange it for Company Seals, which you need for retainers. (that doesn’t apply to all gear though, only blue gear and green gear)
• When you reach a certain point(Second Lieutenant Rank), you will unlock Adventurer Squadrons. You need to level up your Squad by sending/joining them on missions. That will eventually give you the ability to buy a house(if that matters to you)
• Using your Grand Company’s daily crafting submissions is a great way to level up your crafting jobs, and make some experience.

Here is more info https://ffxiv.consolegameswiki.com/wiki/Grand_Company

Mounts:

To unlock mounts, you need to have finished the Lv.20 MSQ “A Hero in the Making” and have joined a Grand Company(you will see what those are naturally in the story, but join one once the option is available), after that you need to do a quest called “My Little Chocobo”, then you get your mount! Name your buddy, and treat him/her well, you guys have a lot of adventuring to do.

Retainers/Market Board:

So you will notice that at the start of the game you can pretty much buy anything (as long as you have the gil for it) from what the game calls the Market Board, yet for some reason, you cannot sell anything yourself. So to be able to start selling items on the market yourself you need what the game calls “a retainer”, think of retainers as your intermediaries between you and your potential customers. I like to think of mine as my personal butlers since I will never have that experience irl :)
Anyway, to unlock them just do what this wiki says, as you’ve probably guessed by now it is locked behind a quest.

The Gold Saucer:

Remember Final Fantasy VII! The Gold Saucer is a fun place to go and play tonnes of mini games which give you what the game calls MGP(a currency to use in the Gold Saucer to buy cool stuff).To unlock the Gold Saucer, you must complete the questline starting with the quest It Could Happen to You.
The best way to earn MGP is obviously to play a lot of mini games, but a good efficient way is to try to do as many of the challenge log’s challenges for the Gold Saucer, and do something that’s called “Fashion Report” which lands you 60,000MGP (that is a lot to get all at once).
This guy called Meoni does excellent videos every Friday to show you how to do the fashion report for the week, I highly recommend following him. Here is a link to his channel https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC4Gi8vzkgo9TLAHazQCPFXw
There is also a weekly draw, basically a lottery that doesn’t hurt to do either.
Here is a link to all the things you can do at the Gold Saucer https://ffxiv.consolegameswiki.com/wiki/Gold_Saucer

Blacklisting:

FFXIV has a reputation for having an awesome community, and I would say that that is true. I can’t count how many times people helped me out (not my friends that I mentioned earlier, just random players), offered to show me how to do stuff, and the list goes on. My point is, don’t be afraid to just talk to people, believe me, if I can do it then anyone can(seriously). Most people in-game will enthusiastically help you out if they can; having said that, this is also reality, you will come across the occasional asshole. You pay for the game just as much as they do, you are entitled to enjoy it, if anyone is being toxic just blacklist them, you will never have to hear from then again, done. Do not engage with them, it is just not worth the headache.
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Useful links:

-------Unlockables at every level:
An excellent link that tells you what you should be able to unlock at every level, with links to the missions/things you need to do to unlock them. https://ffxiv.gamerescape.com/wiki/Guide:Progression_and_Level_Locked_Content
-------The Lodestone:
There is too much stuff to talk about here so I won’t. Just know that this is Square-Enix’s site for the game. It is pretty useful and has some good features like checking your retainer’s inventory..and just so much stuff. Go there, spend some time, check it out.
https://na.finalfantasyxiv.com/lodestone/
-------Square-Enix’s own official guide:
https://na.finalfantasyxiv.com/lodestone/playguide/

-------General:

-Gamer Escape, in general, is where you will be going to check for a lot of things. Missions, locations, items, etc., you get the point.
https://ffxiv.gamerescape.com/wiki/Main_Page
-The wiki
https://ffxiv.consolegameswiki.com/wiki/FF14_Wiki
​
-----Glamour: Ever wonder how does a specific piece of armor look? Wonder no more.
https://ffxiv.eorzeacollection.com/
https://www.ffxivcollection.com/
​
-----------Youtube channels for guides/walkthroughs/tips/etc:------------
There are so many out there, and there are very mixed opinions about them all. Since this is a subjective thing, here’s the list, you can check them out and see what you like and what you don’t on your own. Remember, it’s ok to like what YOU like kupo!
-Meoni https://www.youtube.com/useClysmCast
-MTQ Capture https://www.youtube.com/useMTQcapture
-Graehl Gaming https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCWN98KSz1NCZKJkw5esyyWQ
-Mr. Happy https://www.youtube.com/useXehanort1227
-Larryzuar https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCQjKMGUEzBmEHltb1OIMLUg
-Work to Game https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC1XHYeI68_m1avceS-F37-A
-Zepla HQ https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCJwM0fiKe2rq7z2p8HPTyMA
​
​
-----Lore:-----
-Ethys Asher
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCs2UQ_EJkAAlzXkcTfDj-2g
-Speakers of Hydaelyn
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC2BQVHKP5x3Cs62MB0DF5EQ/featured
​
​
-----Machinima:
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC61Ny5j5tyb_6FWPtZye3-g/videos?disable_polymer=1
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Before I go:
Man this turned out to be a bit longer than I expected! Before you downvote me to oblivion for forgetting to mention this or that, please remember that my intention was to put something together to answer most of the things new players wonder about when they first get into the game. I know I have not talked about a lot of things, hopefully though, I have addressed enough to answer most questions that people wonder about in the beginning. If I have forgotten something that you think fits in this beginner’s guide, I am sure you will all tell me below :)
I look forward to seeing all the new players in this awesome game that has started to consume more of my attention than most other things in my life right now.
Welcome to Eorzea Adventurers!
La HEE! (I swear if I get a single comment about it’s supposed to be La li HOO!)

Hey guys, I just started playing earlier this weekend and loving the game so far, I'm new to ff14 and got the expansions. It's pretty overwhelming trying to learn everything lol. Someone showed me the hall of novice quests (around level 23, wish I knew about it at 15!!!). I'm not sure what content is new and from expansions and not. I just read about the palace of the dead, what are some cool must do's that I can easily miss?
Are there other things like the palace of the dead? Should I start doing them now? I found this https://ffxiv.gamerescape.com/wiki/Guide:Progression_and_Level_Locked_Content which is kind of helpful but doesn't really point out any specific questlines that are important that I can miss.
Does anyone have any pointers for things I should seek out (like hall of novice etc) while I'm doing my first playthrough? I'm currently level 27 and playing a lancer.
Cheers and thanks!

Info taken from: Patch 5.0 Notes
I've decided to do more than one table to make it easier to read, especially regarding DoW/DoM Job quests.

Main Table

Content Type	Quest Name	NPC	Location	Requirements
Main Story	The Syrcus Trench	Tataru	Mor Dhona, The Rising Stones (X:6.0 Y:5.9)	Players must first complete the main scenario quest "A Requiem for Heroes".
Side Story	???	???	???	Progress through Main Story quests.
Trials	???	???	???	Progress through Main Story quests.
Crystarium Deliveries	The Crystalline Mean	Katliss	The Crystarium (X:11.0 Y:8.5)	Players must progress to a certain point in the main scenario.
"The Lawns" Stone, Sky, Sea	Yet Another Striking Opportunity	Weary Dockworker	Eulmore (X:9.2 Y:9.9)	Players must first complete the final quest of the main scenario and the quest "A Striking Opportunity".
The Hunt "Sacks of Nuts"	Nuts to You	Hume Lout	The Crystarium (X:12.1 Y:15.0)	Players must first complete the quest "Elite and Dangerous" and have progressed to a certain point in the main scenario.

Roles Table

Content Type	Quest Name	NPC	Location	Requirements
Role Quests: Tanks	The Man with Too Many Scars	Granson	The Crystarium (X:10.5 Y:16.2)	Players must progress to a certain point in the main scenario.
Role Quests: Healers	Traditions and Travails	Giott	The Crystarium (X:10.7 Y:15.4)	Players must progress to a certain point in the main scenario.
Role Quests: DPS	No Greater Sport	Lue-Reeq	The Crystarium (X:10.8 Y:15.9)	Players must progress to a certain point in the main scenario.
Role Quests: Caster DPS	Hollow Pursuits	Cerrig	The Crystarium (X:11.2 Y:15.2)	Players must progress to a certain point in the main scenario.
???	???	Glynard	The Crystarium (X:10.8 Y:15.2)	Players must first complete the final quest of the main scenario and complete all four role quest series.

Tank Jobs Table

Content Type	Quest Name	NPC	Location	Requirements
Job Quests: Paladin	???	Jenlyns	Ul'dah - Steps of Thal (X: 10.8 Y: 11.1)	Players must first complete the job quest "Raising the Sword", the level 80 tank role quest, and the main scenario quest "Shadowbringers".
Job Quests: Warrior	???	Curious Gorge	Eastern La Noscea (X: 30.6 Y: 22.9)	Players must first complete the job quest "The Heart of the Problem", the level 80 tank role quest, and the main scenario quest "Shadowbringers".
Job Quests: Dark Knight	???	Sidurgu	Foundation (X: 13.3 Y: 12.0)	Players must first complete the job quest "Our Compromise", the level 80 tank role quest, and the main scenario quest "Shadowbringers".
Job Quests: Gunbreaker (Job Unlock)	The Makings of a Gunbreaker	Gods' Quiver bow	New Gridania (X:11.5 Y:11.9)	-
Job Quests: Gunbreaker	???	???	Mor Dhona (X: 21.8 Y: 8.2)	Players must first complete the job quest "???" the level 80 tank role quest, and the main scenario quest "Shadowbringers".

Healer Jobs Table

Content Type	Quest Name	NPC	Location	Requirements
Job Quests: White Mage	???	Raya-O-Senna	South Shroud (X: 18.6 Y: 27.1)	Players must first complete the job quest "What She Always Wanted", the level 80 healer role quest, and the main scenario quest "Shadowbringers".
Job Quests: Scholar	???	Alka Zolka	Limsa Lominsa Upper Decks (X: 11.1 Y: 6.2)	Players must first complete the job quest "Our Unsung Heroes", the level 80 healer role quest, and the main scenario quest "Shadowbringers".
Job Quests: Astrologian	???	Jannequinard	The Pillars (X: 15.2 Y: 10.0	Players must first complete the job quest "Foxfire", the level 80 healer role quest, and the main scenario quest "Shadowbringers".

Melee DPS Jobs Table

Content Type	Quest Name	NPC	Location	Requirements
Job Quests: Monk	???	Erik	Ul'dah - Steps of Thal (X: 10.6 Y: 13.1)	Players must first complete the job quest "The Power to Protect", the level 80 physical DPS role quest, and the main scenario quest "Shadowbringers".
Job Quests: Dragoon	???	Alberic	Coerthas Central Highlands (X: 25.8 Y: 28.3)	Players must first complete the job quest "Dragon Sound", the level 80 physical DPS role quest, and the main scenario quest "Shadowbringers".
Job Quests: Ninja	???	Oboro	Eastern La Noscea, Dock Storehouse (X: 5.9 Y: 6.1)	Players must first complete the job quest "When Clans Collide", the level 80 physical DPS role quest, and the main scenario quest "Shadowbringers"
Job Quests: Samurai	???	Makoto	Kugane (X: 13.8 Y: 8.0)	Players must first complete the job quest "The Battle on Bekko", the level 80 physical DPS role quest, and the main scenario quest "Shadowbringers".

Physical Ranged DPS Jobs Table

Content Type	Quest Name	NPC	Location	Requirements
Job Quests: Bard	???	Jehantel	South Shroud (X: 21.8 Y: 21.3)	Players must first complete the job quest "Sweet Dreams Are Made of Peace", the level 80 physical DPS role quest, and the main scenario quest "Shadowbringers".
Job Quests: Machinist	???	Stephanivien	Foundation (X: 8.1 Y: 10.1)	Players must first complete the job quest "The Mongrel and the Knight", the level 80 physical DPS role quest, and the main scenario quest "Shadowbringers".
Job Quests: Dancer (Job Unlock)	Shall We Dance	Eager Lominsan	Limsa Lominsa Lower Decks (X:9.8 Y:12.0)	-
Job Quests: Dancer	???	???	Limsa Lominsa Lower Decks (X: 9.1 Y: 15.1)	Players must first complete the job quest "???," the level 80 physical DPS role quest, and the main scenario quest "Shadowbringers".

Caster DPS Jobs Table

Content Type	Quest Name	NPC	Location	Requirements
Job Quests: Black Mage	???	Lalai	Ul'dah - Steps of Thal (X: 12.9 Y: 13.5)	Players must first complete the job quest "One Golem to Rule Them All", the level 80 magical DPS role quest, and the main scenario quest "Shadowbringers".
Job Quests: Summoner	???	Y'mhitra	Old Gridania (X: 10.9 Y: 6.3)	Players must first complete the job quest "An Art for the Living", the level 80 magical DPS role quest, and the main scenario quest "Shadowbringers".
Job Quests: Red Mage	???	Arya	Mor Dhona (X: 22.5 Y: 7.9)	Players must first complete the job quest "With Heart and Steel", the level 80 magical DPS role quest, and the main scenario quest "Shadowbringers".

Patch 5.0 Media:

• Patch 5.0 Trailer
• Patch 5.0 Launch Trailer
• Patch 5.0 Content Screenshots

Useful Links:

• Lodestone (Once updated, using this link will lead you to the Lodestone containing the most recent gear that comes with patch 5.0).
• Patches Content Information (Handy for returning/new players, contains what content was added with each patch).
• Mogboard Check in-game market board prices, add items to favorites and get alerts for price changes.
• Ariyala (When the site is updated, you can check the new Crafted, EX Trial and Raid Gear stats there).
• Ariyala hunts (Useful to see which hunts are alive or report dead ones).
• FFXIV TeamCraft Crafting checklists, recipes, gathering nodes and maps, rotations, alarms and more.
• Eorzea Collection and XIVStyle (Screenshots of full glamour sets/pieces and glamour suggestions).
• Housing Items (Once updated, using this link will show you which new Housing items were added with patch 5.0).
• FFXIV Collect and Lalachievements for achievements, mounts, minions and more.
• Toolboxgg Create strats for Raids/Trials.
• Twitch FFXIV Streams (If you enjoy watching people go through the Story and leveling and later on doing new content).

Please keep in mind that due to the amount of content added with Patch 5.0 it will likely take some time before some websites are updated.

Patch 5.0 useful Discords:

• General list provided by /ffxiv
• Recommended: The Balance Useful for discussing new Job balance changes, Gathering stats/nodes, crafting stats/rotations/new recipes and more.

First off I take no credit for the content, this was from the Lore Train - Gamerscape page. ( https://gamerescape.com/tag/the-lore-train/ )
However I know many like myself that are unable to access that page from work or even on mobile it can be a pain, so I am consolidating each portion into a Google Doc that is easy to read and share. I will be updating this throughout the day to cover all the way up to Shadowbringers.
I know many of us rushed through content to get to end-game and last year I made a new character to finally play through the story and it is so fantastic and well written that I hope more take the time to enjoy the story we will be receiving on the 28th. See below for story recaps (Warning these are long, but so well done) :
FF14 1.0 (Adding Later)
FF14:ARR (Adding Later)
​ Heavensward ​
Stormblood (Adding Later)

Looking to trade the Original Fat Chocobo Mount & the Maid Outfit for a Flying Cumulus Mount (from the German Dr.Pepper x FF14 promotion) or an agreed upon mixture of FFXIV Cash Shop (Mogstation)/ Minion codes of equivalent (total value) listed below:-

• Mount: Fat Moogle Mount
  
• Mount: Bennu Horn
  
• Emotes: Eastern Dance emote, Eastern Greeting emote, Eastern Stretch emote, Backflip emote.
  
• Gear: Aymeric's Attire, Fuga Attire, Far Eastern Garb for Men
  
• Promotional Minions: Wind-up Dalamund, Wind-up, Wind-up Nidhogg, Wind-up Hraesvelgr, Wind-up Relm, Heliodor Carbuncle, Peridot Carbuncle, Spoony Bard, Namingway, Wind-up Enterprise, Set of Primogs
  

EDIT: Both traded (20/09/2017) :)

So 6 months ago when I quit FF14 over their horrible customer service, I kept up information on this game since I dedicated over 2 years of time into it. During that time I informed people that FF14 would follow the trends of WoW in regards to making content more accessible to casuals, making things even easier than they are now to appeal to that player base while also as people call it "Dumb it down" for the sake of the majority of the player base. But as soon as I posted my believes I was demeaned, lambasted and called a Whiner for stating facts that are showing to come true based on a recent interview YoshiP recently did.
I originally stated that SE would continue to "dumb" the game down to appeal to the majority of players which are casuals so they can continue to generate income...which is the sole purpose of a business, to make money. They do not make money from appealing to a small population of players who consider themselves "Hardcore" Raiders but do so by creating a game more in line to WoW with simplistic queing system, "Cookie Cutter" builds and reducing grinds that only the White Knights continue to defend. I know these words are going to piss of alot of fanboys off for restating facts, but when you finally come to the realization that these words are true, then you will finally not be incredibly upset when these events do occur contrary to your believes.
It all starts here with a comment Yoshi P stated "WoW would have players pay to jump over and skip levels and it’s something that can be considered for FFXIV as well." It is being considered which is the first step into "Dumbing" things down as the "Hardcore" players like to claim. Please feel free to read the entire interview here to get the entire facts of the game's future: http://gamerescape.com/2016/06/17/e3-2016-interview-with-naoki-yoshida/ Most importantly, the sky isn't falling, FF14 isn't going away and I am extremely glad that it isnt. I am looking forward toward the day in where SE does follow WoW's footsteps in which the game is focused more on it main population of players who are casuals and more away from the "Hardcore" crowd.

During the last FFXIV event I took the time to make a write up of the plot of FFXIV from character creation until the battle with Ifrit so that people like palisy who had never played FFXIV (or had no interest in playing the game) could follow the story unfolding in the event. With a new FFXIV event coming, I plan to continue that tradition! I present to you the continuation of FFXIV's story leading up to the battle with Titan, beginning with the conclusion of the battle with Ifrit complete with links to screenshots of important events and characters!
WARNING!! THIS CONTAINS SPOILERS FOR FFXIV
After the battle with Ifrit concludes the adventurer (that's you) heads back to the Scions of the Seventh Dawn's headquarters to speak to Minfilia, leader of the Scions. Your actions have drawn the attention of the Grand Companies of Eorzea (essentially military powers used to defend the interests of the 3 great nations.) Each wishing to recruit you into their ranks. Miniflia decides it is wise for you to do so, but first wishes you to listen to a speech given by each of the nation's military leader's, Limsa Lominsa's Merlwyb Bloefhiswyn, Gridania's Kan-E-Senna, and Ul'dah's Raubahn Aldynn. Each give a rousing national speech about the Battle of Carteneau also known as The Calamity. During your trip between the nations, you meet a pair of Elezen Twins, Alphinaud and Alisaie who scrutinize the leaders for the disregard for the Warriors of Light and the man who single-handedly ended the battle against Bahamut with his sacrifice, Louisoix Leveilleur.
Upon returning to Minfilia the adventurer gives their answer, pledging allegiance to one of the 3 Grand Companies (in game its your choice, it does not alter the story in any way). It's not long before the Grand Company informs you that an Airship has been shot down by the Garlean Empire, and requests that you go survey the scene and rescue any survivors. Upon arrival you find the only two passengers alive and well, their names are Biggs and Wedge and the airship they are flying is none other than the creation of Cid non Garland an Empire Engineer who defected to help save Eorzea, however he has been missing and presumed dead since The Calamity.
Rescuing the two, you decide it best to report to Minfilia who has dire news, the Sylphs of Gridania's massive Forests have been gathering crystals in an attempt to summon their Primal God, Ramuh. You are tasked with stopping the summoning with the help of two other Scions, Yda and Papalymo. The adventurer arrives to find that the local sylph population closest to Gridania is of no threat and that many of the sylph deeper in the forest have become mindless slaves to the will of Ramuh, endlessly attempting to summon him to remove all threats from the forest. The scions discover that the Sylph Elder, Frixio has gone missing, kidnapped by an unknown enemy. Upon investigation you are sent to The Thousand Maws of Toto-rak a dungeon located in the forests of Gridania. Encountering the Ascian "Lahabrea" a dark wayfarer who seems to be inhuman in nature, he decides to test you, summoning a massive Banemite to attempt and slay you. Upon victory you rescue the Sylph Elder, Frixio and Lahabrea escapes. Upon returning the Elder Sylph to the Sylphlands, it is revealed that Ramuh has given strict orders for his Sylph slaves not to attack anyone who is not invading Sylphland Forests, and is of no immediate threat or concern. Armed with this information and a gift from the Sylphs, the Purple Crystal of Light (a symbol of conquest over Ramuh that harmonizes with the Mother Crystal, Hydalen) the Scions return home and report their success. With Ifrit slain and Ramuh's summoning of no immediate threat, the Scions decide to investigate Lahabrea and the Ascians. Your adventures take you to a location named Little Ala Mhigo a refugee city for what remains of a nation of people who were defeated by the Garlean Empire and had their homes taken. Discovering that Lahabrea is behind the violence that was incited spurring the battle in Ala Mhigo. Upon learning this the Scions investigate another report of unexplainable violence at the location Haukke Manor where young maidens are being murdered and carried away by Floating Eyes to serve as sacrifices in the blood ritual of rejuvenation for Lady Amandine a noblewoman who was badly injured during The Calamity, who has been manipulated by Lahabrea into seeking aid from demons. Upon defeating the now demon-like Lady Amandine, the adventurer returns to Minfilia to report their findings.
Before the investigation can continue the Scions are informed that another Beasttribe, the Kobolds are attempting to summon their Primal God, Titan, the Lord of Crags. Several years prior to these events, Titan had risen once before and was defeated by a legendary group of mercenaries known as The Company of Heroes, who have all but vanished in recent days. Traveling to Limsa Lominsa, Y'shtola and the adventurer find one former member of the Company who has information regarding Titan. He sends the Adventurer on a series of inane and absurd tasks such as traveling to Costa del Sol a beach resort to prepare a special banquet held in honor of Costa Del Sol's wealthy owner. The adventurer is rewarded for their efforts with a clue as to where they can access Titan's Lair, and in great haste, rushes off to slay Titan, all the while being quietly observed by the Ascian, Lahabrea.
EDIT BONUS: Here is a link to Titan's theme, along with a video featuring the hardest part of the battle (The Final Phase) Under the Weight (Titan's Theme)

Final Fantasy XIV A Realm Reborn 2.x Content Guide (2.0 -> early 3.0)

This is intended for new and returning players, and is a set of notes and summaries of most things you have to do to catch up to all the content released before the Heavensward expansion, current as of Patch 3.0. Catching up at least to the end of the Main Scenario Quests is mandatory in order to have access to Heavensward areas, jobs, and all content besides the Au Ra race. Besides Feature unlocks, most other sidequests are optional.
I have left several quest names, trial names and dungeon names vague to avoid possible spoilers. Sources include the patch notes archive, the official database, the gamerescape wiki, and the FFXIV Console Games wiki.
Let me know of any additions that should be made. As this is too long for reddit, I have put some of the content in the comments: Part 2 (Beast Tribe quests, Feature unlocks, Hard primals) and Part 3 (Extreme primals, Crystal Tower, Job and Class quick reference).

Terminology

There are several common words, abbreviations and expressions used throughout the game that will also be used in this guide. For reference:

• MSQ: Main Scenario Quests. They have a distinctive icon, and they are required to unlock almost all of the other game features, sidequests and zones. It's recommended to do them as soon as they are available.
• ID: Instanced Dungeon. While English-speaking players just normally refer to them as "dungeon", Japanese players normally use "ID". To be brief, I'll just call them ID.
• Trial: Boss battles, always 8-man after level 49. While all of the MSQ trials have no rewards, all of the Extreme versions have their own themed weapons as rewards.
• Hard Mode: Hard Mode refers to the level 50 version of MSQ trials. While most of the sidequest Hard Mode trials reward weapons, all of the MSQ Hard Mode trials have no rewards.
• Extreme Mode: The Extreme Modes are even harder versions of the trials. The level 20, level 34 and level 44 trials' Extreme Modes reward accessories, and their weapon rewards works on a weekly quest token system; but all other Extreme Modes directly reward the player with Weapons and/or Accessories. The Minstrel's Ballad trial only rewards Accessories. Often has new mechanics, much more unforgiving versions of existing mechanics, or combinations of both.
• Raid: A larger scale ID. In FFXIV 2.x, the high end raids consist of 8-man parties doing more challenging dungeons and bosses than on regular ID or Trials. The other tier of raid is the Crystal Tower series, where 3 parties of 8 people (24 total) clear a large dungeon. The Extreme Mode fights are slightly less difficult than an equivalent Coil boss fight.
• Coil: A Realm Reborn' high end raid. Consists of 3 chapters (Binding, Second, Final) with 4 maps with rewards each. Almost nobody does Binding Coil Turn 3 as it has no rewards. Has extra backstory on the Calamity and the Allagan Empire.
• Item Level: All stats of a given item scale with this value, so it's the basic value used when referring to the quality of an item. Usually abbreviated as ilvl, IL, or simply an i preceding a number. For brevity, this guide will use the i-number format.
  When given as a quest requirement, it means that the ID, Raid or Trial that this quest requires or unlocks requires that item level as the minimum to allow entry. All quests with an ilvl listed are level 50 quests. If two ilvls are listed, the first number is the minimum requirement, and the second is the item level of the equipment dropped in the dungeon.
  
• GC: Grand Company. When given as "GC HQ" in the Sidequests list, it means that the quest is located in your current Grand Company's headquarters. They are the Adders' Nest, the Hall of Flames, and the Maelstrom Command. It is possible to switch between them after receiving the level 50 promotion, but if it's your first time transferring to a particular GC, you start from the initial rank.
  
• Level Sync: When doing FATEs, dungeons and trials that are meant for a level lower than your own, your stats and abilities are automatically restricted to a value equivalent to the best possible at the Level Sync level. Some level 50 dungeons will have an Item Level sync (currently of 110), which restricts your gear's capabilities to the maximum Item Level even if your level itself is not synced.
  
• DoW, DoM: Disciple of War and Disciple of Magic. Refers to Physical Combat and Magic classes, respectively.
  
• DoH, DoL: Disciple of the Hand and Disciple of the Land. Refers to Crafters and Gatherers, respectively.
  

Main Scenario Quests (MSQ)

2.0 A Realm Reborn

Quest Name	Level	Remarks
Close to Home	1	Available as soon as you finish the basic tutorial.
... 8~9 quests ...		Varies with starting city.
???	9	Varies with your starting city, the last level 9 MSQ. Unlocks the Inn and the Leves of [Village] sidequests.
... 14~17 quests ...		Varies with starting city.
The [Your City-State]'s Envoy	15	Unlocks airship travel between city-states, as well as all boats. Also rewards the Wind-up Airship minion.
Call of the Sea	15	Only for players that did not start in Limsa Lominsa. All quests after this point are unified, regardless of your starting city.
It's Probably Pirates	15	Unlocks the first ID, Sastasha.
... 1 quest ...
Fire in the Gloom	16	Unlocks the ID Tam-Tara Deepcroft, completing it unlocks the Low-level roulette (daily bonus exp and gil).
... 1 quest ...
Into a Copper Hell	17	Unlocks the ID Copperbell Mines.
???	17	Unlocks the Retainer system, needed to sell things on the markets and store your excess stuff. Hire one by talking to a Retainer Vocate in any of the city-states' markets.
... 7 quests ...
Life, Materia and Everything	19	Required for the Forging the Spirit sidequest.
Lord of the Inferno	20	Unlocks the first Trial.
A Hero in the Making	20	Unlocks the Grand Company related systems after you pick any of them; which one doesn't matter.
... 2 quests ...
Sylph-management	20	Required to unlock all Job quests.
... 15 quests ...
Into the Beast's Maw	24	Unlocks the ID Thousand Maws of Toto-Rak.
... 25 quests ...
Skeletons in Her Closet	28	Unlocks the ID Haukke Manor.
... 13 quests ...
The Things We Do for Cheese	32	Unlocks the ID Brayflox's Longstop.
... 7 quests ...
It Was a Very Good Year	33	Rewards the Goobbue Sproutling minion.
... 3 quests ...
Lord of Crags	34	Unlocks the second Trial.
... 29 quests ...
In Pursuit of the Past	41	Unlocks the ID Stone Vigil and Beast Tribe dailies.
... 7 quests ...
The Reluctant Researcher	42	Unlocks access to the previously inaccessible part of Western La Noscea.
... 6 quests ...
Lady of the Vortex	44	Unlocks the third Trial.
... 16 quests ...
Operation Archon	49	Unlocks the fourth Trial (the first 8-player instance).
... 5 quests ...
Rock the Castrum	50	Unlocks the first 8-man ID.
???	50	Unlocks the second 8-man ID, long cutscenes at the end.

All MSQ after 2.0 require level 50.

2.1 A Realm Awoken

To unlock the first guildhest, do the Simply the Hest sidequest from one of the city-states. Further guildhests are progressively unlocked by doing the last available guildhest on the Duty Finder.

Quest Name	Level	Remarks
The Price of Principles
... 8 quests ...
Hest of the Best		Requires completing a level 15 guildhest.
Pass the Smell Hest		Requires completing a level 30 guildhest.
You're Gonna Carry That		Rewards the Buffalo Calf minion.
... 4 quests ...
You Have Selected Regicide	i54, i75	Unlocks the Patch 2.1 8-man trial. Rewards weapons.
... 2 quests ...
Build on the Stone

2.2 Through the Maelstrom

Quest Name	Level	Remarks
Still Waters
... 15 quests ...
Lord of the Whorl	i60	Unlocks the Patch 2.2 8-man trial.
... 1 quest ...
Through the Maelstrom

2.3 Defenders of Eorzea

Quest Name	Level	Remarks
The Great Divide
... 9 quests ...
Levin an Impression	i65	Unlocks the Patch 2.3 8-man trial.
... 7 quests ...
Brave New Companions

2.4 Dreams of Ice

Quest Name	Level	Remarks
Traitor in the Midst
... 6 quests ...
The Path of the Righteous	i80, i90	Unlocks the Patch 2.4 4-man ID.
... 6 quests ...
The Instruments of Our Deliverance	i80	Unlocks the Patch 2.4 8-man trial.
... 3 quests ...
Let Us Cling Together

2.5 Before the Fall - Part 1

Quest Name	Level	Remarks
Good Intentions		Requires having finished the first three sidequest Hard Mode trials (quests up to Primal Awakening).
... 2 quests ...
The Rising Chorus	i90, i100	Unlocks the Patch 2.5 4-man ID.
... 1 quest ...
On the Counteroffensive
???	i90	Unlocks the Patch 2.5 trial
???

2.55 Before the Fall - Part 2

Quest Name	Level	Remarks
Mask of Grief
... 5 quests ...
The Steps of Faith	i90	Unlocks the Patch 2.55 8-man trial.
... 7 quests ...
The Parting Glass		About 45 minutes of cutscenes.
Before the Dawn		More long cutscenes, credits, and another cutscene after the credits.

3.0 Heavensward

Finishing Before the Dawn unlocks all of the 3.0 Job quests, starting at level 50 and continuing every 2 levels. The very first 3.0 MSQ unlocks most of the 3.0 content, including access to the Machinist, Astrologian and Dark Knight job trainers.

Notable Side Quests

All your class quests, particularly the level 1 quest (unlocks Hunting Log), level 5 quest (has a unique chest piece reward), level 10 quest (unlocks Levequests and learning other classes), level 15 quest (new ability) and level 30 quest (new ability). After finishing your class' level 30 quest, a new level 30 quest will become available (two for Arcanist) that directs you to your Job quest.
All Job quests (every 5 levels until level 50, every 2 levels afterwards) unlock abilities. The Summoner level 30, 35 and 45 quests require completion of the first, second and third Main Scenario Quest trials, respectively, before they can be accepted. On all pre-3.0 jobs, the level 45 and 50 quests reward you with Artifact Gear, which is much better than anything you have access to when first reaching those levels.
To play as Rogue, it is necessary to first level any other class to level 10 to unlock learning other classes. If the player started in Limsa Lominsa, they can then go to the Rogue guild right away, but otherwise the player has to first do the The Gridanian Envoy or The Ul'dahn Envoy level 15 MSQs before they can access the guild.
To play as Machinist, Astrologian or Dark Knight, it's necessary to do the first 3.0 MSQ.

Instanced Dungeon unlocks (pre-lv50)

Several of these dungeons contain mobs that are included in your Grand Company's Hunting Log. For example, doing Halatali right after joining a Grand Company is a good way to get most of the 2000 seals needed for the My Little Chocobo sidequest. They are also a good source of experience, especially as the gap between new dungeons in the main story increases.
As a hint, the fastest way to Vesper Bay is through the Ferry Docks next to the Arcanist's Guild, but it requires an 80 gil payment every time.

Quest Name	Level	Quest Giver	Location	Remarks
Hallo Halatali	20	Nedrick Ironheart	Vesper Bay	Requires MSQ Dressed to Deceive, unlocks the ID Halatali.
Braving New Depths	35	Nedrick Ironheart	Vesper Bay	Unlocks the ID Sunken Temple of Qarn.
Dishonor Before Death	38	Sibold	Steps of Thal	Unlocks the ID Cutter's Cry.
Fort of Fear	44	Carrilaut	Observatorium	One of the ways to unlock the ID Dzemael Darkhold.
Shadows Uncast	44		GC HQ	The other way to unlock the ID Dzemael Darkhold. This quest is needed to unlock the Captain GC promotion.
Going for Gold	47	Nedrick Ironheart	Vesper Bay	One of the ways to unlock the ID Aurum Vale.
Gilding the Bilious	47		GC HQ	The other way to unlock the ID Aurum Value. This quest is needed to unlock the First Lieutenant GC promotion.

Instanced Dungeon unlocks (level 50)

All quests are only available at level 50, and only after completing the final quest of Patch 2.0, except for Trauma Queen, which is available at Level 47. Despite being a level 47 quest, the dungeon itself can only be entered at level 50.
There used to be two ways to unlock Amdapor Keep, but they were simplified into the Ghosts of Amdapor quest. The dungeon also used to have harder mechanics that were simplified, particularly with the second boss.
All level 50 dungeons (as of Patch 3.0) reward the player with Allagan Tomestones of Poetics. The higher the Item Level required for the dungeon, the higher the reward. Poetics tomestones can be exchanged for Item Level 120 gear with the Auriana NPC in Revenant's Toll, however those items will be outdated by level 54.
The Item Level 120 gear can be upgraded into i130 with items rewarded by the weekly quest unlocked through the Crystal Tower, or through rewards from the Final Coil, by trading them in with the NPC Drake (North Shroud, village on the top right). The i130 variants can be dyed.
Patch 2.1 started a pattern where they would add one completely new dungeon and two Hard versions of lower level dungeons, which are basically new dungeons with a similar theme of the old dungeon. While some areas may look familiar, they are completely different maps, often taking different routes or just having a completely different scenario.
Patch 2.4 started adding the brand new dungeons to the MSQ, so the sidequests only unlock the Hard versions of the older dungeons.
The dungeons rewarding i90 gear actually reward Antique gear that can be traded with Kakalan (building north of Revenant's Toll) for usable i90 gear.

Quest Name	Item Level	Quest Giver	Location	Unlocked ID
Trauma Queen	i45, i55	Allene	Vesper Bay	Wanderer's Palace
Ghosts of Amdapor	i45, i55	Nedrick Ironheart	Vesper Bay	Amdapor Keep
Sirius Business	i48, i60	Diamanda	Aleport	Pharos Sirius
Maniac Manor	i48, i60	Lauriane	Revenant's Toll	Haukke Manor (Hard)
Out of Sight, Out of Mine	i48, i60	Hugubert	Revenant's Toll	Copperbell Mines (Hard)
One Night in Amdapor	i55, i70	E-Sumi-Yan	Old Gridania	Lost City of Amdapor
This Time's for Fun	i55, i70	Hugubert	Revenant's Toll	Halatali (Hard)
Curds and Slay	i55, i70	Bloezoeng	Revenant's Toll	Brayflox's Longstop (Hard)
King of the Hull	i70, i80	Bloezoeng	Revenant's Toll	Hullbreaker's Isle
Corpse Groom	i70, i80	Paiyo Reiyo	Steps of Nald	Tam-Tara Deepcroft (Hard)
Blood for Stone	i70, i80	Faillicie	Revenant's Toll	Stone Vigil (Hard)
It's Definitely Pirates	i80, i90	Bloezoeng	Revenant's Toll	Sastasha (Hard)
The Wrath of Qarn	i80, i90	Hugubert	Revenant's Toll	Sunken Temple of Qarn (Hard)
Not Easy Being Green	i90, i100	Bloezoeng	Revenant's Toll	Wanderer's Palace (Hard)
For Keep's Sake	i90, i100	Lauriane	Revenant's Toll	Amdapor Keep (Hard)

Continues on Part 2.

tl:dr It's a jungle out there trying to get into crafting. Here’s how I got where I am now and what I’m currently doing with it; below are my resources (links to guides and lists) and my current tactic for earning gil. I tried to keep the explanations beginner-friendly.
First of all, a big thank you to everyone whom have been sharing their knowledge of the game instead of monopolizing it. I understand the drive to gain huge benefits yourself instead of sharing it, so I commend each of you for choosing a different route and deciding to share with others. This is my attempt to share my tactics, perhaps it might help someone someday.
I'm still trying to learn about different strategies for the 3- and 4-star tiers recipes that I'm currently facing, 4-star being the highest tier at this time with the most difficult recipes in the game to have access to, find the ingredients for or even make High Quality version of. So far I've been primarily building and expanding on the simple 'Steady Hand' + 'Hasty Touch' strategy myself since all my crafts were level 15 (all 50 now).
It’s difficult to write a simple get-this-do-that-and-you’re-done-list when it comes to crafting, because there are many other activities that influence the profit you can make from it. (Search these terms and names on a FFXIV Wiki website if you want to know more.) Things like desynthesis, gathering, materia converting (spiritbonding) and melding and (daily beast tribe-) quests are often directly required if you want to become self-sufficient (read: maximize profit). Although, there are exceptions when buying the stuff you need on the Market Board instead of gathering/desynthesising/questing them yourself is more efficient. That is ultimately what you’ll be using a lot as well: the Market Board! You’ll need to know how the Market Board works and how to use it to your advantage (but that’s whole other story upon itself).
If you’re still reading this, you must be really interested in (getting into) crafting, eh? Edit: here's a good post with explanations about the terminology made by majorslax
It’s like doing a puzzle, really. You have abilities for each craft, some of which you can ‘borrow’ from other crafts if you’re high enough level. Activating these abilities can cost you Crafting Points (CP) and/or durability points, effectively limiting the amount of abilities you can do. These abilities can either influence the progress, quality, CP, durability or other abilities. The goal is to manage these four parameters – progress / quality / CP / durability – with the abilities you activate with the limited CP you have in order to get the progress bar filled before the durability is depleted while trying to maximize the quality% to increase your chance at a HQ version of the item.
Knowing when to use which ability becomes crucial when you’re a high-level crafter, which is why I recommend crafting your own items for levequests and such when you’re levelling crafts to 50. If you don’t train yourself in getting to know the tactics when the recipes are still cheap, you might find yourself inadequately prepared to tackle the tougher puzzles if you bought your way up the ranks.
Most of these recipes are only available after using a Master Crafting Book item, one for each craft, obtained by turning in certain high-level crafts at Talan (NPC) in Revenant's Toll.
The websites below have helped me progress through the levels, organize and theorize about synthesising tactics, macro's and gear setups.
http://ffxivcrafting.com/equipment - handy tool to find the pieces of gear you can upgrade while leveling up from 1~50.
http://www.gameskinny.com/4rc10/ffxiv-leveling-craftingtradecrafts-with-repeatable-leves-guide - I used the courier levequests and the daily Grand Company delivery quests as the primary strategy to level up all crafts 15~50 as cheap as possible, even crafting the HQ items myself once I had enough cross-class abilities.
http://ff14.nikeya.jp.net/crafteen or http://ffxiv.lokyst.net/ - to simulate a synthesis in advance and/or create macro's easily
https://docs.google.com/document/d/1flSupEsBo2KK2FhOeuXcxtLe-Dw0guPKBH1E36wyhmc/edit - Google Doc put together by Mithrie Menethil with a lot of good example macro's for high end crafting (not intended as be-all-end-all solution, rather just as one-of-the possibilities)
http://ffxiv.ariyala.com/ - 'Best In Slot' equipment organizing
http://ffxivcrafting.com/crafting - finding and organizing crafting recipes and ingredients
Things I currently do to earn gil I'm currently trying to optimize synthing popular high level/1-star ingredients with a macro while wearing as much spiritbonding gear as possible while still getting 100% HQ with NQ ingredients that I gather myself to maximize profit. My main expenses are usually shards/crystals/clusters at this point. Edit: Here's a nice introduction about spiritbonding by timeboundary
My gear set for SpiritBonding consists of two parts. One to reach the minimum requirements for the macro and the rest to spiritbond:

for stats	(fully melded if possible)
main hand	Vulcan Supra
off hand	Artisan's File (HQ, unmelded)
head	Artisan's Spectacles
body	Artisan's Gown
hands	Artisan's Fingerstalls
legs	Artisan's Culottes (HQ, fully melded)
feet	Artisan's Sandals (HQ, fully melded)

(I can't afford the Artisan's Apron and Mitts yet, I'm also working on Ixali reputation for the Ixali Oaknot to get the Ehcatl Smithing Gloves as an alternative and the Ehcatl Sealant items used as ingredients in high-tier recipes)

for spiritbonding	(each HQ and with 1 random cheap materia melded for the added total +40% spiritbond rate)
waist	raptorskin artisan's belt
necklace	electrum choker
earring	red coral earrings
wrists	electrum wristlets of crafting
ring1	electrum ring of crafting
ring2	electrum ring of crafting

When any of these reach 100% Spiritbond, I convert it in hopes to get an expensive tier IV materia to sell for profit, and replace it with a new piece to spiritbond.
The minimum requirements to use the macro below with 100% quality and progress:

required	#
craftsmanship	326
control	396
cp	342

You would need any of the following food to reach 342 CP:

• Cawl Cennin HQ
• Fish Soup HQ
• Bouillebaise
• Bouilebaise HQ

The macro I use for HQ100% 1-star 40 durability recipe with NQ ingredients: (credit to Mithrie Menethil's vid on YouTube, who credits Dev Nbolo from Diabolos server for providing the macro, and for Arylius on YouTube for providing it in a comment. Mithrie Menethil modified it to not use Manipulation. Check out his channel.)

/ac "Comfort Zone"  /ac "Inner Quiet"  /ac "Steady Hand II"  /ac "Basic Touch"  /ac "Basic Touch"  /ac "Basic Touch"  /ac "Master's Mend"  /ac "Basic Touch"  /ac "Steady Hand II"  /ac "Ingenuity II"  /ac "Innovation"  /ac "Basic Touch"  /ac "Great Strides"  /ac "Byregot's Blessing"  /ac "Careful Synthesis II" 

Minimum requirements for high-level recipes Here's the requirements to be able to even start the recipe on each tier. (I haven’t seen these posted here)

requirements	1-star	2-star	3-star	4-star
craftsmanship	275	347	391	451
control	255	318	374	407

I'm nowhere near done myself; I've just reached 3-star tier on my 3rd crafter class recently (4-star is the highest attainable tier currently). For reference, my highest crafter class is now Blacksmith50 with a 'Supra' main hand (second-best available main tool next to ‘Lucis’) and the High Quality ‘Artisan’ off hand (Best option for off-hand, mine is not yet melded because I'm not yet sure yet which combination would be best) with the whole gearset giving me 445 craftsmanship, 414 control and 348 cp.
I’ve also been gathering a lot and have a ‘Supra’ for both Fisherman and Miner. Gathering ingredients for popular high-level recipes is also a steady income. Examples are Ninja Betta (fish), Worm of Nym (fish), Aetherlouse (fish), Cypress Log (botany), Crawler Cocoon (botany), Darksteel Ore (mining) and Ferberite (mining).
Desynthesizing (I’ve chosen GSM/CUL/CRP as it’s only possible to maximize three classes) high-level fish and ‘aged’ tool items bought from the Merchant & Mender at Silver Bazaar near Ul'Dah Merchant&_Mender(The_Silver_Bazaar) can also be profitable. I also desynth HQ Silver Brocades in order to get a chance at Mastercraft Demimaterias, either to sell or use for a new supra once I’ve got some gil to spare. More on desynthing in this guide here on the official forums
In the end, your profit depends on the market. A new patch can heavily influence prizes and shift the market to favour other sources of income, so my examples and tactics would have to be adjusted accordingly.
These are my tactics, they're not perfect but they're mine. I hope this helped someone. Good luck!
PS: I’m from the Netherlands, so English isn’t my main language. You can find me on Twitter @PrimeAvatar or here if you have any suggestions or questions.

I wanted to compile a list of websites that I have used during my time playing FFXIV to assist with others playing the game. Perhaps you have hidden gem websites too! Hopefully I can create a general resource place for some players!
I would encourage just Title / Website in the comments if you will post.

1. Experience Points/Chart
   
2. Technyze's Rare Nodes Gathering Info
   
3. Paladin Tanking Compendium
   
4. Best repeatable tradecraft leves.
   
5. Crafting as a Service
   
6. 50 Crafting
   
7. FFXIV ARR Levequests Guide
   
8. XIVPADS
   
9. 52 Tips for FFXIV: A Realm Reborn
   
10. DoH/DoL Leves, Dyes, Material Tiers
    
11. Chart for End Game Progression
    
12. BLM Rotation Theory
    
13. Levelling Guide to Ffxiv - A Realm Reborn
    
14. Best materia setup for crafters
    
15. This is why you save your leves for high level crafting...
    
16. FFXI Japanese Language (Nihongo) - English Guide Version 1.8
    
17. Designing your UI & Keybind Methodology for a better game experience
    
18. Looking for visual/written class guide pages
    
19. ZAM BLM Resource Page (Also good for other classes)
    
20. FFXIV Warrior rotation image
    
21. WAR Rotation Analysis
    
22. Paladin - Optimizing your UI
    
23. FFXIV ARR: Capitalizing Black Mage's Flare Mechanics
    
24. New best BLM aoe rotation in 2.1?
    
25. Speedrun - Fishing from 1-50 in 30 hours.
    
26. Crafting 100% Success 100% HQ 2 Star Items
    
27. F.I.S.H
    
28. How to materia my lvl 50 Hq cooking gear?
    
29. Botanist Node Locations
    
30. XIVDB - added by Koruvatto
    
31. FFXIV Clock - added by zacatilla
    
32. FFXIV : Eorzea Unspoiled Android App - added by me
    
33. XIV Minions - added by arekkusuro
    
34. Final Fantasy XIV - Gear Calculator by Ariyala Ta'nya - added by jim42xd
    
35. FFXIV:ARR Calendar - added by sanchopancho13
    
36. The Aegis Hikari Guide to a Better Scholar Gamepad/Only Edition - added by Khona_panipahr
    
37. Eorzea Source - added by jcade-sim7447
    

• EDIT: Formatted links to make post cleaner.
• EDIT2: Updated community posted links
• Thanks to those who have contributed. I will continue to update.