Because the FFXIV playerbase consists of two types: those who like reading the story and those who like hardcore raiding. There’s an entire multi-billion dollar gaming industry outside of FFXIV that caters to mid-core gamers. Unless you want to kill the rat or read Nanamo story time, FFXIV doesn’t really have a purpose on the gaming market. I wish they’d just take the sub off or put out a book and call it a day.