Thanks, but no thanks.

While being able to choose your "path" in a game is a great feature, it is not one of the main selling points of the Final Fantasy franchise. Not even in the particular genre (JRPGs). To date, I have not been disappointed in a FF story (and I've played about 10 of the main ones), so I have high hopes for FFXIV.

Also, keep in mind that giving us a "set" storyline is easier for the dev team since they don't have to worry about making different paths and cut-scenes.

If anyone is looking for a more "sandbox" RPG, this is not the game.