Any recommendations on how to get back up to speed with the changes in FFXI since just before Adoulin?
Ignore useless posts that say "get right into Delve and other end-game stuff", but instead play at your own speed. Anyway, as far as actual stuff, check out
Records of Eminence (started within your Quest log), which is a simple way of getting bonuses for all sorts of little accomplishments within the game. For example, killing specific NMs, or certain types of monsters, or dealing high amounts of damage. They reward you with exp and a currency called "sparks", which are points you can exchange for decent weapons, armor, and other items.
Other than that, hitting up Home Points throughout the game will help you get around now that you can teleport from each one. They also added a bunch more, such as at burning circles. Also check out
Trust, a system that lets you summon NPCs from around the world to help in battle.
Once you feel sorta situated, the big things since Adoulin came out are:
- Sacred Kindred Crest BCs, which use a new kind of beastmen's seal from 99+ enemies. You can set the difficulty level in these BCs, and have some useful items, such as those needed to upgrade artifact and relic armor.
- Skirmish, battling random enemies and NMs for augmentable weapons/armor (with varying levels of ease and satisfaction)
- Reives, which are kinda like a small-scale version of Campaign, but you fight monster nests and obstacles instead of fortifications. There are also Reives against powerful monsters which give out some good weapons and armor than can be given (good) augments of your choosing
- Delve, a battlefield thing against regular enemies and powerful NMs, including a strong boss at the end. Most of the enemies here are very high level but have very valuable drops.
- High-Tier Missions, rematches against old mission BCs like Tenzen, Divine Might, Shadow Lord, etc. Requires key items bought with merit points and having already cleared the old missions. Like Delve, among the highest level enemies and some of the most rewarding. Can set the difficulty in these fights as you prefer though.