Is there anything you are happy about?

I feel that the character and creature art of FFXIV is under appreciated, probably due to the presentation. The game's lighting system means that the models don't look very good outside of cutscenes with preset lights. You also typically play the game with the camera zoomed out for a bird's eye view, so the models are small, and there are a lot of ability effects obfuscating the models. And since you hardly ever get to see enemy models except when you're fighting them, you rarely get a chance to just look at and appreciate the models in this game. There isn't even a bestiary or a model viewer or a museum with dead monsters on display to visit. It's really only the really large mobs, like bosses, that people tend to notice, which is sad. The creature designs in FFXIV are very imaginative.

I can't think of any other game development job that takes up so much time and resources, for so little payoff, than 3D creature artists who make the generic mobs. Players just hardly ever get to appreciate those models. Which is sad. At least with western games, you can go to Polycount or CGHub or Artstation to look at the models more closely, but for Japanse games I wouldn't know where to look... if they even put their work out on the internet, that is.

Happy that they weren't cowards and actually added a beast race (Hrothgar), even if they're gender locked.
Also have no complaints about the story. In fact I don't hate Fandaniel like a lot of people seem to. I quite like his character after 5.4.
Also like that Ishgardian Restoration is a thing, and how flying in ARR zones makes the 2.0~2.55 MSQ way better paced.

I like that we got stuff that incentivises interaction with the world outside of DF like Ocean Fishing. And I'm happy about Bozja and the direction FATEs are going. The story is great and the world looks super nice.

Oh and I like that you can find hidden lore everywhere. That's one of my favourites.

I like the game and have fun playing it. I'm not sure why it has to be more dramatic than that ¯\_(ツ)_/¯

The story, from ARR all the way to right now, I love it. And being Viera. ;3

I'm very happy with most parts of this game, wouldn't play it if I didn't enjoy it so much.

The OF are just a cesspool of whining and "hate" because people figure that whining here gets more attention than anywhere else. Most places I talk about the game, be it FB groups or reddit or Discords, are largely happy with it.