Please don't consider this a condescending post with the intention of insult - it is not that. It is simply a curious customer's question.

I, along with many other people who purchased FFXIV, were expecting something phenomenal. The game had been in production for quite a while, it looks extremely polished graphics-wise, and from what I heard, it cost you guys a lot of money to make the game. So, what came out of it all?

I figure a game that was in production for such a long time with the amount of funds thrown at it would produce something extremely high caliber. What we got was a few zones with many parts copied-pasted, half thought out game mechanics, and completely missing mechanics altogether. On top of that, there was rumor that game was outsourced to people in China (which would possibly explain the fatigue system). As I said at the top, please don't consider this a flame. In fact, anyone reading this, use this opportunity to ask SE YOUR question regarding the state of the game.

How could the amount of time and money spent on a game like this amount to something that feels so... empty and heartless? I'm genuinely curious as to what cost you guys so much? It surely couldn't have been the time constructing zones, I mean... common, CTRL+C/V? I know designing the graphics and item system would be time consuming, but years worth? Where did all the time and money spent go?

I don't really know what else to say, I hope I got what I was trying to ask across. I'm well aware I'm going to get people with flame-like responses, and I accept that. I just hope you understand that I'm not intending to sound like a troll here. I've been playing Final Fantasy for a long, long time now. It WAS my childhood, so you can understand that I only hope for the best in the end when it comes to this game. I just want some questions answered.