Regardless of the flaws that FFXI had upon release, the game was welcomed and it had a very strong user base on release. That's how it was able to maintain popularity regardless of fundamental gameplay issues.
This. FFXI has annoyed the hell out of me in the long time i've been playing it including a few times when i first started but it had me hooked so I always forgave the annoyances and when I thought of the game I always did so favourably. Every time I think about my time playing FFXIV it's with boredom and disgust and I have zero desire to ever play it again.

FFXI is the best asset they have in the MMO division and the fact they are treating it the way they are shows how little business sense the company has. FFXIV just has no market intrest, they just don't get that at all.