The page image doesn't mean anything, it's an eye-catcher and I had to put something.

More to the point, this is from the perspective of someone who's completed the original game twice, and has learned a few things the hard way.

This should give you some helpful guidelines to both streamline your gameplay and reduce excessive "grind".

As is the gold standard for any RPG game, the almighty EXP is front and center.
There are several ways to increase the amount of EXP gained from actions/battles, such as potions, weapons and armor you find, weapons and armor you craft, and Twists of Fate.

For those who don't know, Twists of Fate are passives you gain from completing certain story quests, whether the main plot or the several faction quests you can find.

I won't spoil anything, but I can safely say that it's worth completing as many faction quests as you can, because some of the bonuses are either difficult (if not impossible) to find anywhere else, universally applicable, or both.

So, as any gamer may conclude, it would make sense to hoard EXP potions for use where their benefit can be maximized.
HOWEVER, this is unwise, due to the sheer amount of EXP you can gain, the fact that there's a level cap, and that you will find plenty of EXP-boosters just from exploring the game naturally.

Therefore, as someone who's reached the level cap only 40% through the game, I recommend that you use an EXP booster as soon as you find it.
It'll cut down on back-tracking and your level progression won't get skewed.

Odds are, you're familiar with RPG classes, so I won't go into too much detail over what the destinies do, since they do a pretty fair job of explaining what you get with each.

What I will do is provide some "layman's terms" just in case one isn't quite sure about the overall 'style' of each destiny.

Might
- Heavy Armor
- Hard-hitting, but slow, weapons
- Melee only
If you don't care to dodge all that much, or have no desire to fight at range, then this Destiny will suit you just fine.

Finesse
- Medium Armor
- Fast, but low-damage, weapons
- Melee or Ranged
- Poison and critical hits
If you want a no-fuss, flexible approach, then you want this. Longbows are one of the first ranged weapons you get, and Daggers/Faeblades can tear down single targets with rapid efficiency.

Sorcery
- Light Armor
- Heaviest usage of Mana
- Mostly Ranged, but a few Melee options
If you want to be able to take out whole groups at once, then this is the way to go.

Might/Finesse
- Critical hits
- Straightforward; no need to worry about magic damage
If you don't want to worry about enemy elemental resistances, then you're right up this alley.
It may not be the most creative, but being able to wear heavier armor while still dishing out critical hits is a powerful combination.

Finesse/Sorcery
- Very high damage
- Access to ALL damage types
Easily one of the highest burst-damage destinies; if your preference of damage type is "YES", then you're gonna love this one.
Your armor is comparatively tissue-paper, but if dodging is second-nature, then you'll be fine.

Might/Sorcery (my personal favorite)
- Heavy Armor and Defense
- Melee, but solid Ranged if 'correct' weapon types used
- Fewest damage bonuses (only an increase in melee damage)
Almost the inverse of the Finesse/Sorcery, this is the tankiest build you can find; no other Destiny gives you extra armor on top of Elemental Resistance (which stacks with the Might and Sorcery resistances you could potentially select).

Might/Finesse/Sorcery
- Gives you a bit of everything
- Extra skills
- Gives you all weapon techniques
- More damage across the board
If you're unsure or want it all, then this is the only way to go.
Given the sheer spread of it all, it takes a long time to really shine; and even then, while the damage bonuses cover any and all weapons, you don't gain any extra effects with them.

While there's plenty of money to be had in this game, early on you may be struggling to afford potions and inventory increases.

A great way to find more gold is the Detect Hidden skill, which not only increases gold found in a general sense, but at increasingly higher levels will reveal hidden treasures, which can be sold for yet more gold.
The other money-skill, Mercantile, improves prices with merchants; i.e. they buy your stuff for more and you can buy their stuff for less.

Even just a few ranks in those skills will supercharge your available funds for use in whatever you want.
While I am reluctant to tell players what class they should be, it's worth noting that the second rank of the Jack-of-All-Trades destiny gives you a free skill point in all skills, and it can be unlocked very early.
So whether you know exactly what kind of destiny you're aiming for or still haven't decided, I highly recommend having the "Wayfarer" destiny at least for a while to get all those extra benefits.

Another thing to keep in mind is that even if you don't want to craft weapons to use, you will undoubtedly find crafting materials (hilts, rivets, bindings, etc.)
You'll want to use those, because otherwise you're just carrying around money you can't use.

If you DO plan on crafting a particular arsenal, it can still be worth using your "leftover" crafting materials for some extra funds.

Since you learn about this VERY early, I don't think a spoiler tag is necessary.

Once you 'unlock' the purple bar (called the Reckoning Meter) you may notice that when you Fateshift and finish the small button-mashing that you get a lot more EXP, especially if you manage to take down a whole group of baddies with it.

When I noticed this, it led me to believe that I should conserve that purple bar and only use it for emergencies.
It wasn't until about 20 gameplay hours later spread over a few weeks that I realized that I hadn't used it since.
So all those combos ended up being wasted because I was too 'frugal' with the Fade meter.

Therefore, I highly recommend that you Fateshift as often as it allows.
What the game doesn't tell you is that if you do so but no button pops up, you can cancel the Fateshift (same keys/buttons) and preserve some of the meter.

By using Fateshift more often, you make the combat simultaneously more fun AND more rewarding.
If you're worried about filling up the meter too slowly, all you need to do is make combos.

Each weapon has a 'basic' combo, which is easily achieved by just hitting the button.
Some weapons have a different rhythm, such as the Longsword's basic combo of 3 slashes; but if you wait a moment after 1 or 2, you'll do an upward slash that knocks an enemy in the air.

Either way, you will fill up the meter more quickly than you think if you just put a few smarts into your attacks.

Put simply, use Fateshift as soon as it's full, or if you know that you're going to be facing a boss very soon.
DON'T try to "save it for later" because it's free EXP that you're not using.

As the section title implies...

I won't give any specific details, but from experience, there's a point that almost screams "FINAL QUEST", and most gamers (such as myself) would be inclined to grind for "just a few more levels" just to be sure we can do it, and so we look our best for the final cutscene.

Just in case it isn't clear, I'll put it in spoilers below:
The part where you have to get on a boat and sail to the fortress that's under siege; it's explained like that's where the final battle is, but it's more like the two-thirds point. Meaning there's still a lot of game left AFTER that battle.

So, don't feel like when you get that quest that you must finish everything else before embarking.

I made that mistake and like I mentioned earlier, I hit the level cap WAY too early, which made the game too easy and not as fun.

For context, I've tried all the different class combos, from the single-style destiny to the two-fold hybrids to the crazy mix of all three.

These are lessons learned that apply to any build, whether a player goes for Greatsword and Daggers, a Bow and Staff, or a Longsword and Chakrams (my personal favorite).

Just in case anyone needs any reassurance, there's plenty of EXP to be had.
You don't need to worry about doing EVERY quest to reach maximum level.
You will end up with plenty of gold to respec as often as you like.

It's your Fate, so you do with it what you will.