If you're not grinding at max level... what ARE you doing? I mean really.
Empty new content released as fast as you can complete it? (wait you're grinding new content)
Repeating old content to gain the rewards you want? (wait you're grinding old content)
Endless PvP to test your skill? (wait you're grinding PvP to prove you're the best)


I prefer Time-gated content believe it or not. It gives you a versatility to your grind. XI didn't start with a variety but as it aged it generated more content which could be interspersed to build up a weekly play variety.
HNM (long spawn windows), Dynamis (3 day wait), Limbus (3 day wait + megaboss gated by clearing lower level content), Assaults (1 tag/day), Nyzul (can do assaults OR Nyzul assault), Salvage (gated 1 tag/day, and tags cost assault points), Einherjar (wait to enter + content gated by clearing lower tiers), Abyssea (need to earn stones/hours in the zone to continue to be there)... even BSNM/KSNM/etc was gated by the rate you could grind seals. Hell even story line/quest lines were gated with wait times to prevent people from rushing. What it eventually lead to was a game that had various grinds and you didn't feel like you only had 1 option. However it didn't start that way!

Yes there are grinds in ARR, yes I'm ok with that. I look forward to when there is a larger variety of things to do, but I didn't expect it to be there TODAY.
ARR is "3 years old" but at the same time, all the content it has has been revamped and refurbished to make the game both more accessible, and easier to scale to add challenges. A major part of the life of ARR was not spent in "new content cycle" so comparing it to where other games were at after 3 years is unfair.