You are all wrong about the 1-50 game being to easy, only game ever being hard was EQ and that was flawed.

1-50 in FFXIV is as hard as you will find in any modern MMO today.

Could it be harder? perhaps but it would not serve any purpose and only alienate many of the base players.

Given if all you do is FATE then there isnt much in terms of gameplay, but the 1-50 storyline is perfectly adequate of serving as an education in playing your class.

If you played conjuror till 50 only using aero never having healed thats a choice you made by only doing FATEs and i am pretty sure the fault lies with you not the game.

I must say of all MMOs I tried, i was happy once i reached 50 to say i played to 50 NOT leveled to 50, instances, TRIALS, leves, FATES, Guildhests etc made me learn my char and class very well.

I dont find FFXIV "hard" but I find it provides an adequate challange that when put besides its counterparts could even be considered hard.