Possible return to the gameFollow

I wouldn't say it's so much about playing 24/7 as it is finding a solid group of people to play with you can. In terms of PUGing, that may be rough depending on your usual play time. How successful the linkshell concierge service they added recently will pretty much be a matter of opinion based on server and luck.

Since you've been gone as long as you have, I'd say you have at least leveling to 99 and finishing WotG as distractions. Sparks gear wouldn't be too hard to get on your own, which is basically entry level ilvl gear. Since I couldn't tell you when they plan the next free week, you're basically in for a month if you give things a go.

The game is designed to be much, much more casual friendly now. The inclusion of Trust (the ability to summon various game NPCs into your party) allows solo or small group exping at any level to be efftive.

At level 99 with even spark gear (on the low end of the ilevel gear) you will still be able to do just about all pre-Adoulin content solo or with one or two others. This also includes content like dynamis, salvage and assaults, which have been reworked for solo play as well.

Most of the Adoulin content will require a group, but pickup groups are sufficient for most of this. My advice is to enter Yorcia Alluvion skirmishs as soon as you are able; the gear from that can be quite good, and there is a low barrierof entry for newer people. It is, basically, the fastest way to get up to speed. Rala and Cirdas are harder content, need to be a bit better geared for those.

Since this subject comes up a lot for new/returning players, here's a rundown on Yorcia: think of it as a very simplified real time strategy. Your team must defend your base (Marchland) and attack the enemy's (Stronghold). Next to your base is a book called the Ars Monstrum, which allows you to spend points on summoning monsters, upgrading your monsters, and a few other, less important things. Your team builds points by killing random mobs in the zone (elementals and butterflies). The enemy base will summon monsters which will attack your base. These monsters are quite powerful, and players will not be able to defeat them; in other words, you need to call your own monsters to fight them.

Once you destroy the enemy base, you are able to progress to another level, earning more personal and group treasure. One reason why just about anyone is able to do this content is that operating the book (calling monsters) can be done by anyone; a poorly geared returning player can do this perfectly well, with no loss of performance as long as the rest of the group is decently geared, as the book user will not be fighting.

There are a few different ways to handle to book, but my general plan is this:
--Floor 1 and 2, summon 4-5 colibri and crabs, then Ammend Ars Monstrum, which levels your monsters up and allows you to summon new types. Then just burn points as quickly as possible summoning adamantoise, scorpion and coeurl.
--Floor 3+ summon 3-4 entoozon (worms) and upgrade as quickly as possible. Worms are defensive, and these floors have enemy monsters coming quickly. I play defense until I can call some stronger units, then go on offense. Floors 4 and 5, I will do a third upgrade if points are coming fast enough to be able to summon wyverns and tomes.

Tactics will vary, and there are quite a few that work. The important thing is that the rest of the group is killing mobs fast enough to have points to keep rolling.