I realized that I just commented on what good hitting 50 was for, but never answered the actual question.
As several folks have mentioned, I try to keep OOC levels and IC experience separate... for the most part. For example, Chachan only just got inducted as a Free Paladin, so he obviously wouldn't be a level 50 PLD like he is IG. However, he is supposed to be a really good smith, so I actively leveled ARM and BSM to reflect that (and for the costumes~). Since I'm going for the Vulcan Lucis as his "IC" smithing tool, I have to max all the other crafting classes OOCly, while ICly he isn't able to cook or weave or SCIENCE. I just need them for the cross-class skills so I can smith with greater success.
However, if I were to try and abstract experience into levels... I wouldn't put level 1 at Black Belt. In game, this is you first taking up the profession - whether you picked it as your starting class or not. Starting on the path of Thaumaturgy, of the Lancer, of the Sword and Shield... level one is you enrolling for your first martial arts classes and your first task is you first "lessons" abstracted into an easily understood form - beat up 10 rats.
Then, you hit a different "tier" with each five levels, like training to get to the next belt of skill. If 1 is White, 5 is Yellow, 10 Orange, 15 Green, 20 Blue, 25 Red, and then you reach Black Belt (and your "class" capper) at 30. Which is, conveniently enough, when you gain access to the Jobs and a higher level of power far beyond the ken of your common Eorzean citizen. To continue the comparison, these are the higher "dan" of Black Belt - going from First Degree to Second and so on... but in a more fantastical sense.
You're not just punching anymore, after all, you're channeling your inner aether (chakra) to put more force into that punch. You're not just swinging an axe around, you're putting the power of your Inner Beast into it. You've gone beyond basic magics into forgotten or even forbidden arcane arts. To the standard person, you might even seem superhuman.
So, I wouldn't consider 1 the Black Belt. I would bet you could abstract most non-combatant NPCs, if they've taken any form of self-defense courses or such... to be in the 1-10 level. Unless we get into crafting, which is its own thing... though at higher levels you're able to straight up make clockwork automatons and make use of the most fantastical materials.
As several folks have mentioned, I try to keep OOC levels and IC experience separate... for the most part. For example, Chachan only just got inducted as a Free Paladin, so he obviously wouldn't be a level 50 PLD like he is IG. However, he is supposed to be a really good smith, so I actively leveled ARM and BSM to reflect that (and for the costumes~). Since I'm going for the Vulcan Lucis as his "IC" smithing tool, I have to max all the other crafting classes OOCly, while ICly he isn't able to cook or weave or SCIENCE. I just need them for the cross-class skills so I can smith with greater success.
However, if I were to try and abstract experience into levels... I wouldn't put level 1 at Black Belt. In game, this is you first taking up the profession - whether you picked it as your starting class or not. Starting on the path of Thaumaturgy, of the Lancer, of the Sword and Shield... level one is you enrolling for your first martial arts classes and your first task is you first "lessons" abstracted into an easily understood form - beat up 10 rats.
Then, you hit a different "tier" with each five levels, like training to get to the next belt of skill. If 1 is White, 5 is Yellow, 10 Orange, 15 Green, 20 Blue, 25 Red, and then you reach Black Belt (and your "class" capper) at 30. Which is, conveniently enough, when you gain access to the Jobs and a higher level of power far beyond the ken of your common Eorzean citizen. To continue the comparison, these are the higher "dan" of Black Belt - going from First Degree to Second and so on... but in a more fantastical sense.
You're not just punching anymore, after all, you're channeling your inner aether (chakra) to put more force into that punch. You're not just swinging an axe around, you're putting the power of your Inner Beast into it. You've gone beyond basic magics into forgotten or even forbidden arcane arts. To the standard person, you might even seem superhuman.
So, I wouldn't consider 1 the Black Belt. I would bet you could abstract most non-combatant NPCs, if they've taken any form of self-defense courses or such... to be in the 1-10 level. Unless we get into crafting, which is its own thing... though at higher levels you're able to straight up make clockwork automatons and make use of the most fantastical materials.
~