Yes I played XI since it came to the United States until more than a few months after Abyssea. Since then I have grown up and devoted a lot less of my time to gaming.

To use the airship example I did the quest one time for one of the three nations. It took time but I did not do the exact same thing over at each nation to get my pass. I ran up a bunch of stairs with my friend, sat and watched as they killed a giant. I had escape cast and let out the trapped ambassador. Afterwards I ran all over the world and collected magicite.

In XIV I join the grand company I am given a task of investigating. I go there and get a mini fight. I do two other quests exploring the danger of the world. I feel like I am learning about the world I am in. I am then told to spy on the other two nations. I go to the nations and am told to do the same type of investigation I just did. I learn nothing new. I partake in the exact same fight. Then I hit the third nation and repeat the same proccess. Afterwards I have to rescue the leaders of each grand companies speaker and then listen to all of them give me a long speach.

Comparing the two games: XI I did several quests one time. XIV I do the same quest three times at which point I do not learn about the world, I simply grind.