What's the point with that quite lackluster story in Endwalker?

[Rulakir]

I didn't want the 'Sound' to have anything to do with the Ancients. People were griping about Hydaelyn as evil being a trope when progenitor species/civilizations being the instruments of their own demise is even more of a trope.

I suppose at least this wasn't Meteion's intended purpose. Hermes didn't create her to task her with testing the mettle of all life in the cosmos and, if I'm being generous, the main flaw in the Meteia is they were imbued with free will. Otherwise, they could've been ordered to return even if all else remained the same. I don't believe Hermes was aware the Meteia were capable of something like the Song of Oblivion/Final Days either or at least I don't recall any indicators he was.

I strongly believe that if XIV were single player, it would be the best FF game to date.

I would agree with this in terms of less tap dancing around anything involving the player character, which inhibits interactions. As an example, for as brilliant as Emet is, his characterization is limited by not encroaching upon the Azem/WoL identities since that's the player. Were we RPing a premade, fully fleshed out character the writers would be allowed to explore their history and dynamic together more.

I've often wished instead of linking Azem directly to the WoL that they would've made Azem a separate identity who shared the same soul, like Ardbert. I feel like the story of Azem is hamstrung by making them 'us' instead of their own person (despite the game simultaneously insisting that we're not the same).