In-Game Configuration Tool

[Gasher]

my counter argument is that practically every PC game does what you just said.
The sims for instance, many people who know nothing about MMOs, computers, techy stuff in general vegg out on the sims, well the sims tells you that if you changer certain settings the client will restart for you....... so i dont think "This is only one of the reasons that putting these kinds of options inside the game may confuse less tech-savvy users and make their game experience less enjoyable." is actually very accurate since so many house wives and such do it in games like the Sims all the time.

Indeed. And because of that very fact, I made sure to start off by saying:

...but it is not uncommon for the reason to be flawed interaction design and development planning (which, to some extent, i believe is the case with FFXIV)

I totally agree that an external configuration tool is all too much 2001 and not 2011.