How can you feel a sense of achievement without a challenge? Also when I reach a rank to unlock something 'cool' like raise or a level II/III spell within an hour of playing I definitely don't feel like I've earned it and it doesn't feel 'special'.

My post was a generalisation and not about a particular spell or ability.

If people read my post properly they'd see I said FFXI was TOO much and that XIV was the opposite. I'm far from a basement no lifer but if you aren't willing to grind and strife to achieve something in an RPG maybe you're playing the wrong sort of game.