SP/ XP Grinding

What is the point of a surplus "bonus" if the amount of experience needed for levels higher than 20 cause you to gain bonus after one full day of leves and sp grinding???

Plus, I play about 3-5 hours a day, but not consecutively. Because of this I have fallen way behind every one I know of who started at day one. The only thing surplus has done is prevent me from dedicating the same amount of time to make progress.

Now I am outside the level limit imposed by the game for acceptable SP in a party with a majority of my LS mates. So, I am forced to solo grind most of the time. I was doing fairly well until the latest patch. That has effectively cut my sp/ xp in half and again slowed my progress.

I'm about done with a game that sees no other course but to limit growth in its player base. I'm a dedicated FF player and loved FFXI for its ease of finding parties and vast world; though the necessary grinding present there was also tiring, yet more bearable than here.

I can only hope that you guys find a better way to promote easier interaction with people so parties form faster and can rightly gain sp/ xp without being hindered for wanting to enjoy the game for long periods. Introduce a common set linkshell "channel" in chat, allow seek like in FFXI, allow communication through aetherytes to speak to those in area to see if anyone is there desiring leve parties, or get rid of the +6 level penalty for party member disparities. And for the sake of all that's good get rid of surplus!!!

P.S.: I'm a mage. Do I automatically smell good to mobs because of this? I stand there while other party members engage to wait for my chance to heal and the mobs attack me...while being pummeled or initially attacked by my party. Really? Really...

P.P.S.: Give me my /sigh back. I need to let out some frustration... :P