Quote Originally Posted by DPZ2 View Post
SE is aiming for a wider audience than typical MMORPG players. It's a different normal than before, but one that ensures that players who are in the game for the Final Fantasy, and not the MMORPG, can more easily complete the MSQ.

You could level up through the entirety of World of Warcraft over the years without ever touching a dungeon instance or playing in a group with other people. Same for most MMORPGs over the last 20 years. FFXIV is the only game that requires a player to engage in group play in order to level up.
I'm pretty sure most view FFXIV as a Final Fantasy game first, and an MMO second. Just about everything is gated behind MSQ progression. I'm not sure why anyone would consider this out of the norm. Perhaps for an MMORPG, but definitely not for a Final Fantasy game.