Your post resonated with me a lot!
I do enjoy a good quest grind but I find XIV's and WoW's not so much hard to get into... but maybe not as appealing in their presentation.
I'll still religiously read all the text and enjoy the stories that go along with each quest but it feels like there's something 'extra' missing.
FFXI had it down pat, it had the text but it also had engaging mini-CS that would help to immerse you. I think the best MMO that I've played that /really/ had the immersion down was SWTOR, especially with their interactive cutscenes.
I'd love to see more things like that from developers nowadays instead of the lines upon lines of flavorless (I'm not sure if that's the right word) one-way dialogue.
I looking forward to more engaging quest chains where it revolves around more than just "Kill 8 dodo", mini storylines, more prominent characters and a whole new level of immersion.
I've thoroughly enjoyed XIV's storyline so far but the sidequests have left me feeling a little hollow (if that makes sense at all?)