If they quit, why should SE listen to them anymore? Do brownie points from ex-players contribute to SE stock value now? And for every person saying Abyssea killed the game, there is another who understands that without Abyssea, FFXI most likely wouldn't still be here. Leveling to 99 is easy, but that is not even one of the roadblocks people have been discussing. Get with the program?
Actually, if you read some threads, people are asking for nerfs to the exp gain rate. That's why SE themselves released a statement saying they won't do that. It is one of the roadblocks, unless you mean this thread specifically. I was mainly referencing what the people say in those comments.