I'm not really misunderstanding much of anything. You said we were lucky because the time it took in FFXI was longer (though you said it in more words), and that the RNG was the same/worse there. Lucky is not a word you use in the way that you did without meaning one system is worse than the other. "You're lucky you guys don't have the superior relic grinding system of FFXI" doesn't make any sense. It only makes sense if you're referring to the relic system of FFXI as inferior to FFXIV's, because that's the only way we'd be lucky we didn't have it.
There is next to no one complaining about grinding in and of itself, and next to no one complaining about time investment (which I pointed out in my last post). People are more than happy to grind, they just want visible progress. We also have very different definitions of elite. Relics are not elite weapons, they are sub par to other end game alternatives, with the relics requiring much more time invested. They also are not for elite players at this point. They are for the players who can tolerate running around extremely low level areas and mashing 1-2 buttons. And I'm sorry, but just because Joe Smith got lucky and got his Atmas within 12 hours and after 12 hours I only have 3 does not make Joe Smith anymore elite than I am.
Next to no one is complaining because it's a grind. They are complaining because one person can get an Atma in 15 minutes and another can spend 24 hours and not see one.
