As an avid Final Fantasy enthusiast with over 200 hours across the franchise, level grinding is second nature in my pursuit of super-powered parties.
So for new FF16 adventurers seeking to maximize EXP gains early on, this guide details the most efficient methods I‘ve discovered through extensive playtesting and research.
Follow my analyses of the top 3 leveling spots below to start dominating enemies and quests with more ease through rapid character upgrading:
Top 3 Overview: Fastest Ways to Grind EXP
These leading locations and approaches offer the highest yield of experience points per time investment:
- Royal Meadows – Farm respawning Blue Birds as efficient source for early to mid-game
- Main Story Quests via Story Focus – Reduced difficulty provides smoother progression and unlocks accessories
- Hunting Side Quests – Epic monster battles grant rare loots and abundant EXP between story tasks
Now let‘s dive deeper into each method…
#1 Royal Meadows: The Early-Game Leveling Hot Spot
When first starting out, head straight to Royal Meadows to kickstart grinding levels efficiently through battling packs of Blue Birds.
What Are Blue Birds in FF16?
These large rideable birds populate the sprawling Royal Meadows area and function similarly to Chocobos of previous Final Fantasy titles.
Resembling ostrich-like steeds, Blue Birds roam the fields in flocks. And provide the following benefits:
- Appear around level 21, granting worthwhile EXP payouts
- Respawns quickly after leaving and returning to the area
- Weaker mobs that spawn in groups for AOE attacks
- Provide additional materials like AP, CP, items to equip drop rate accessories
So early-on when your party is still under-leveled, the Blue Birds offer the perfect EXP & farming punching bags.
Blue Birds in Royal Meadows offer excellent sources of EXP & materials for new players
Optimizing the Grind
Follow this process to maximize value from the Royal Meadows location:
- Equip EXP boosting accessories like Scholar‘s Spectacles and On Fortune and Heaven‘s Ring for bonus experience gains
- Seek and defeat all Blue Bird packs roaming the plains
- Exit to World Map to make the birds respawn
- Teleport and return to destroy them again
- Rinse and repeat!
Ideal for Early Progression
After several cycles of an hour or so, this provides tremendous EXP gains to launch out of the initial levels.
Form a party of mages for quicker mob clears too. I levelled up over 5 times within my first couple hours this way!
So tackle Royal Meadows first to establish an early advantage before progressing quests.
#2 Complete Story Quests on Story Focus Difficulty
While the open-world offers many avenues for standard grinding, FF16‘s main scenario questline itself showers tons of experience upon completion.
And toggling the difficulty down via Story Focus makes sprinting through main missions even more lucrative for rapid leveling.
What Does Story Focus Do?
This gameplay mode option reduces combat intensity to emphasize narrative over combat complexity. Specifically:
- Enemy HP reduced
- Party attack strength increased
- More assist opportunities activated
The result is faster, more manageable battles despite unchanged rewards.
Main Quest EXP Payouts
Now main story quests already provide massive boosts for EXP, even on default difficulty.
Based on my first playthrough, here were average per quest:
| Quest Type | EXP Reward |
|---|---|
| Main Scenario | 50,000+ EXP |
| Side Quests | 3,000 – 5,000 EXP |
| Hunts | 10,000+ EXP |
As shown, core missions give giant EXP chunks. Lowering intensity via Story Focus allows faster completion to unlock more rewards sooner.
And don‘t forget equipping EXP boosting accessories for additional +25% EXP gains before turning these quick fights into major leveling strides!
Wear EXP boosting accessories to further optimize quest grinding
So pound through the main scenario by:
- Initiating Story Focus Setting
- Equipping EXP boosting accessories
- Rushing campaign quest progression
This path also unlocks more features and gear over just grinding open world mobs.
#3 Side Quest As Monster Hunter for Major Rewards
Now for the most entertaining method earning loads of EXP: completing Hunting side quests!
These optional tasks populate job boards across the world, asking brave warriors to track down and defeat unique elite beasts for fame and fortune.
Overview of Hunts
- 32 total beastly marks to battle
- Found on clansman Cid‘s mission board
- Ranked from F through A difficulty
- Special monster types and enhanced abilities
- Big cash and item payouts, especially on tougher Hunts
While entirely optional, I found pursuing Hunts one the most rewarding ways to shoot up in levels AND gear quality by:
- Keeping battles fresh and exciting (unlike repeated mob runs) through diverse monster types and locales
- Granting tons of EXP and rare crafting materials to upgrade weapons/accessories
- Unlocking additional Hunts to raise reward potential from completing multiple batches
Optimizing Hunter Strategy
Follow this approach to optimize Hunts for efficient leveling:
- Always Equip EXP boosting items first for additional experience gains from all activities
- Sort hunts by recommended level to match your party‘s current progression
- Target clusters of 3-5 Hunts at once to complete simultaneously
- Use Destiny‘s Coin accessory to double payouts of first Hunt from each play session
- Combine with overworld mob grinding between Hunt cooldowns
Adopting these hunting tips allows rapidly accumulating exceptional experience, loot, and excitement!
Alternative Leveling Methods
While the above represent the most efficient means I‘ve discovered through extensive FF16 experimentation, a couple other decent options exist:
Velkroy Desert – Mid to late area with burning sands and dangerous hellhounds, coeurls, bombs that respawn quickly when leaving
- Appear levels 30+ so only viable later on
- Tough but rewarding base foes that are max level cap for additional grinding
Completing All Side Quests – Beyond key story missions, various side adventures found on town boards or interacting with NPCs
- Can offer chunks of EXP alongside other objectives
- But less than core Hunting quests or sheer volume from repeated mob farming
So more options to mix up the scenery. But priority goes to the top 3 detailed earlier.
Conclusion: Power Level Quickly As a Monster Hunter
I hope these highest yield suggestions help guide new FF16 players to power gains quickly. Now go forth and crush those beasts for rapid renown!
As always, I‘m interested in hearing your own top leveling spots and experiences in the comments below!
Game on friends! Let the hunt commence 🙂
