FFXIV is a story-focused MMO. If you don't like that, then there are many other MMOs to play in the market. It's as simple as this.
Someone does not simply go walk into Runescape and say: "Hey, it's a player-driven game and that stands in the way of entertainment!" or to Destiny2 and say: "Hey, it's an FPS game and not tab target and that stands in the way of entertainment!".
In the same manner, one does not simply walk into a story-focused MMO and say the story is locking the content behind it. That's the whole point of the game. FFXIV without the story isn't really great. You can't come in and slam the story aside as if it's nothing. That's insulting.