How does FF14 compare to WoW? (And other MMOs)

[Edax]

I agree that FFXIV raiding needs work, but saying that no game can actually revolve around raiding and have it fun is just an uninformed opinion.

I point to the fact that such games aren't already all over the place. Plenty of games have team deathmatch and horde mode, few if any are dedicated to raiding in a single player context. Raiding for the most part, seems to have spawned from the MMORPG phenomenon and for the most part stayed there, having evolved as large scale dungeons of the classic old-school RPGs. The old dungeoneering of classic RPG has stuck around through, usually with the use of puzzles in single player campaigns, raiding remains niche.

I think you hit the nail on the head with your comments about raiding being about socializing and cooperative play. But that raises the question if these things are fun because they're fun, or because you're with your friends.
If you strip away the socializing, raiding seems to be a hollow enough experience that it can't carry a game. So basing a game AROUND raiding (when it's strongest point is the socializing that happens around and outside the game)... might not be the best idea.

I think you are for the most part correct. Without the socializing and cooperative play, the gameplay just isn't that fun when it has to standalone. Imagine if they removed all the rewards for raiding in WoW, would that many people still do it because they consider it fun?