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If you really think there was nothing to do in XI on the way to level cap, you were doinitwrong.
Eh, okay, let's look at your examples...
Most of which give almost no reward, or are balls-hard that you'll want to levelup first. Why sure, I'd love to go into an area with Lv50 hostile mobs for 2,000gil. Right. Or spend 30 minutes running out to W.Sartabarta for 100gil postage letters.
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outpost supply quests,
People do these? Last I checked, sometimes they items they want are... not reasonable to procure without blowing lots of gil. If you really really wanted your nation to control an area, you'd go kill junk in the area with Signet on.
I think I did this once. IIRC, the mobs were quite overpowered for the level restriction they place on you (they expect at least 6 people for this IIRC? Or maybe it was 12+?) and I remember the reward not being very good at all.
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expeditionary force,
I've never seen a single person ever doing EF. I've never done one myself, nor have I ever needed to.
That's mainly for gil or equipment, again, a step on the way to max level.
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missions to advance the story,
Mainly Rank5 for the Airship Pass but then even that isn't needed now, what with the Homepoint teleports. And you'd be better off waiting until max level; it'd be a much more smoother experience.
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crafting/gathering/fishing/gardening/farming,
99% of which involves either making money, or equipment, to get up to max level. Or if you ARE max level, well, yeah, that's "Endgame".
Not familiar with this. I think I saw an Escort NPC in Crawlers' Nest a few times. Nobody is ever escorting her, and she gets killed in the Scorpion Room every time I see her.
Equipment/money for getting to endgame, just like crafting/farming/whatnot.
People do this? I suppose, if you want.
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raising your own chocobo,
Some of the better end greens and such are quite expensive... how are you going to be doing this without having a decent gil income, first?
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furnishing your moghouse...
Which is.........very incredibly expensive or craft-intensive and best done at.... yes......Endgame, when you have the means to acquire the stuff you'll need to do so.
[quote]that's already a big list of 'nothing to do until endgame' and I haven't even warmed up yet.[/quote]
The "Big List" was... yes, things that are either better done at Endgame, or things on the way To Endgame. They all point towards the goal of getting to Endgame, with the exception of Chocobo Racing and Chocobo Raising.