Dear SE,
First time caller long time listener (couldn't help it). First off, big fan of Final Fantasy. I've been playing since Final Fantasy 1 on Nintendo. Thanks for all the memories...speaking of which.....
The memories I'm being left with from this forum are unsavory to say the least. By a lack of moderation (by that I mean mediation before a lock) you leave us with the impression that the forum is either too large for you to handle (a likely scenario in MMO forums) or you simply do not care enough to regulate. Simply waiting until a comment receives "x" amount of flags in order to intervene is never enough.
The way it stands right now, your forum gives the impression that ff14 forum life is in large part a "free for all". Nobody likes to see this happen. While attitudes get rustled and bridges get burned from time to time anywhere on the internet, there are usually the grown and mature forumers that help to "backseat mod" while not overstepping boundaries. In the case with this forum, no one sees a point. Sure there are some great posters here that try to remind people of the rules and say something lightheartedly moot to clear the air and get back on track, but they are getting tired....it's apparent.
A reason some don't consider for the decomposition of a forum such as this are forum moles. It is not a conspiracy. It is a way of life in forums today. Some are paid, some are just rabid fans of a rival. In any case, they are like cancer. Regular intervention of moderators is the chemo.
In addition, one should ask "what do kids do with freedom?"...they abuse it as a majority. Why do they abuse it? Because they can. The lack of moderation is starting to show tells of how old and immature a large part of your player base is. Personally, I know some teenagers that are more mature than friends my age, but they're rare. I do not want to play a game where a majority of the player base isn't old enough to drive. Not because I refuse to play with kids, but because kids (not always) are the ones who troll in forums and troll in game. Again, not all minors are like this, but there's a reason you don't receive freedom until a certain age. Forums are evidence of this.
Lastly I'll just leave you with this:
The forum is a part of the game (as in most MMOs), your game is still new and improving, do you really want this forum sticking out as an eyesore on top of the challenges/goals you have in front of you?
PS-Lifelong fan, I critique cuz I care...*hugz