The new system and the old system. Constrained.

[Shai]

I love how whenever people be cynical about XI they bring this up, yet in my 9 years of playing XI I've never had to wait hours for a party, because I actually started my own party. Go figure eh? XIV wasn't a unique experience and it never would or will be. It was always a shell of it's predecessor.

I made many, many, many, many of my own parties too, but before I even attempted to make one I did 2 things.
Check for a tank, check for a healer. If those two conditions aren't met, I don't bother.

That still means I'm "waiting" to start a party.
I'm glad you had a unique experience of logging on and jumping straight into a grind within minutes.

That's how my experience with XIV is and I enjoy it. It's not how I'd define the 8 years I played XI.