Are we expecting TO MUCH from 8.0?

[Voidmage]

It is a world alive outside of the main character because there is no main character. You just experience the story as an observer. The MSQ is only a fraction of the writing that goes into the whole thing. I'll be honest, FFXIV writing has been just as bad or worse many times before DT but considering this is currently their main selling point they absolutely have to knuckle down and deliver a story worth all of the consumer-unfriendly nonsense that comes with it.

Maybe I misunderstood you but...
As much as I disliked the 7.0 story, the WoL being more than just an observer is what made the story actually what it was in the first place.
The player character mattering is what made the story hit home for people.
DT showed that a good chunk of people do not want their character to play second fiddle but want the final fantasy feeling.

The last thing I want is FFxiv to follow the WoW story telling.
FFxiv can and should learn a good number of things from the competition yes, but for the story it should stay true to itself because frankly if it turns into WoW 2.0 in that regard I am done with it.
I want the game to change in certain places and take risks but I still want it to feel like the game I originally started in, a final fantasy game regarding the story.