It's become a chore to even log on to the game

[Moriganna]

If you are playing a MMO to meet new people or socialise with friends on stale content, I think you should get up from your chair and get out of the house more. Or just move on to another MMO with the friends in your static.

Many people don't log on to see scenery in-game. They log on for challenges in current and subsequent added content, or experience new encounters with friends/static. When there is none, it is hard to find a reason to log on. This game is still young in MMO standards, so there are certainly a substantial amount of people, myself included who are still subbed due to be being fortunate enough to find a great static group to do coil/hang out with, waiting to see what's next. With everyone is 50 now unlike launch period, plus already having a static group/bunch of friends to Immediately Start raid/engage new content with, After 2.2, and they still take their time releasing content like now, they will certainly bleed subs, like in Swtor.

Then you will start seeing people complaining about dead servers and asking for consolidation/free transfers. Your current perception of whether the game is still going strong or rapidly "going downhill" is based a lot on the server you play on. http://xivsoul.com/ if by any means is a good estimate, clearly shows quite a few servers lacking in population compared to the top half.

Also, I hope you are not going to further suggest that people stand in Ul'Dah with their allagan weapon "socialising".
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"You seem to base your game purely on your own and your static's progress. I can't fathom why you would play any multiplayer game that way."

Yes because that's the way the game is designed, which you can tell by what is being released as content updates. New primals/coil/CT raid to progress together as a GROUP in a multiplayer environment. If you consider camping together with friends or trying to meet new people during the The "events" FATEs like brick/shannon/lighting as socialising, then perhaps back to the 1st line in my post.

No socializing with friend at all?

No figuring out who among your number needs help?

No desire to actually meet new people?

You seem to base your game purely on your own and your static's progress. I can't fathom why you would play any multiplayer game that way.