Why is Yoshi P turning his back on the playerbase that loves this game the most?

[Reynhart]

Use logic. Out of 6 million accounts..lets sayyyyy...2 million are from the school of XI, with 'its' definition of the word 'relic'.

Considering FFXI has around 500k active accounts on its prime, way before XIV was even released, I'd say your estimation is incredibly generous

Yoshi releases content where you literally have to sell your soul, social life, and one of your kids to complete. Forget just Savage...you have to go into the depths of hell and get a drop from Satan to complete it. And the finished product? A weapon equivilant to the end of the next 10 patches. Now..you have the 2 million who will make this objective their waking hours til night's sleep-goal. But for that other 4 million?

What about the Relic/Anima weapon ? You have several stages to grind in order to have one the best weapon of the expansion. But, would it be very different if all those stages were released at the same time, and earlier stages were nerfed during the expansion lifetime like they are now ? Since none of them actually required dedicated content after Chimera and Hydra, there's nothing preventing it.

But taking the safe road as the smart business man is want to do, Yoshi just doesn't seem to be willing to play upon that instinct..or invest in it should I say.

I don't think Yoshida is taking the "safe" route, he's taking the "short" one.
Let me explain...and recall some painful memories of my time in XI...

Once upon a time, I was a new player. Like all new players, I reached level 10 and made my way up to the dreaded Valkurm Dunes. It took at least 20 minutes to reach the place, probably dying once or twice in the process (Thus losing XP), 20 more (When lucky) to join a full party, for a one-hour grind (before anyone ragequit and the party dissolving completely), with several more deaths...

In the end, I needed 2 hours, to, maybe, lose progress because the XP loss might be higher than the Xp gained. That's the harsh route.
Now, you add Aetheryte teleport, you remove the need to grind in a full party, you remove the death penalty, and suddenly, I could have gained the same Xp in a mere 30 minute session. That's the 'safe route'.

The same is true for dungeons. Wanna do Salvage, Nyzul or Dynamis ? Great ! You have 2 hours in front of you ? No ?! Don't bother...

As long as players can progress by small session, they'll have no issue if it takes time, even when being casuals. After all, in the end, everyone will be at the level cap. And since every instance has an adjusted level, you'll have absolutely no issue finding someone to do content with you (Ok, maybe not for Meridianum and Praetorium...)

[Felis]

I don't think Yoshida is taking the "safe" route, he's taking the "short" one.
Let me explain...and recall some painful memories of my time in XI...

Once upon a time, I was a new player. Like all new players, I reached level 10 and made my way up to the dreaded Valkurm Dunes. It took at least 20 minutes to reach the place, probably dying once or twice in the process (Thus losing XP), 20 more (When lucky) to join a full party, for a one-hour grind (before anyone ragequit and the party dissolving completely), with several more deaths...

In the end, I needed 2 hours, to, maybe, lose progress because the XP loss might be higher than the Xp gained. That's the harsh route.
Now, you add Aetheryte teleport, you remove the need to grind in a full party, you remove the death penalty, and suddenly, I could have gained the same Xp in a mere 30 minute session. That's the 'safe route'.

Aetherite teleport, no full party grind to max level (Leve system -> a full party only made it faster, but was not required) and no death penalty (except equip duration down and weakness status) were ideas that Tanaka brought into XIV
Yoshida only reused it in ARR

[Reynhart]

Yoshida only reused it in ARR

Indeed. But in 1.x, you might still die a few times trying to reach some aetherytes

[Felis]

Indeed. But in 1.x, you might still die a few times trying to reach some aetherytes

Not really.
You had only to ask someone for a teleport and then touch the Aetherity for your own teleport list. Only some Aether Nots were tricky, because teleport to them only worked via the main Aethrite and you had to go to them yourself to add them into your list.
But every area, that was used for Leves and Behest to level up, was mostly free of danger.