Thinking of returning, some questions...

[Starplayer37]

Hi all. I am thinking about returning since there have been multiple patches since I last played but I would like to ask a few questions about the status of some specific aspects of the game if I may before committing. I last played after Heavensward - finishing the HW story and then quitting.

1) Does the game still employ tomestone recycling? In other words, are they still replacing old tomestones with new ones all the time?
2) Is the progression still mind-numbingly vertical or have they introduced anything that may be construed as horizontal?
3) (Most important). Have they eased up on the red scrip grind for end-game crafting? This is ultimately why I quit the last time. The crafting got to a point where it felt like a chore rather than any kind of fun.

Thanks in advance!

[Kazgrel]

1. Yes; that said, we're at the end of the xpac now, so the tomestones that are in play now will stay as-is until 4.0.
2. Game is still largely vertical progression driven. On that note, the ceiling for this xpac has been reached as of 3.4, with ilvl 270 gear being the highest you can get, minus the A12S weapon, which is 275.
3. Ironworks crafting/gathering gear overtook red scrip gear as of 3.3. It's crafted, too. Red scrips are largely used to save up Souls of the Crafter and it's possible they can go toward buying 1 grade 5 crafting/gathering materia per week in the future.

Footnote for all 3: Expect similar systems to be the standard in Stormblood. Tomestone system will likely never go away, vertical progression will remain a thing, and there's likely going to be something similar to scrips at the start of Stormblood.