I was browsing the good ol' forums and noticed this thread, which made me realise that SE failed to have this kind of lure.
I know FFXI started off without much story, but they started off with a ton more than what FFXIV started off with or even have now.
FFXI started off with mystery, FFXIV started off with what felt like a freshly built world tailored to us. It's all cosmetic at the moment. No random crap that doesn't do anything, no random secrets to unveil, no cool stuff like big mysterious symbols in the mountains, or random graveyards, no proper story lines that intertwine with different stories, no hidden holes to accidentally fall down, or secret areas to discover (secret beach for a mild example). All of the terrain was built normal.. in FFXI there are things like explosion aftermaths and whatnot, or old mysterious temples built ages past.
in FFXI you had to find your way and discover for yourself, it wasn't hard to get most maps and it wasn't hard to memorize your way without maps. In FFXIV everywhere you go you have a map, you know where everything is, there is no mystery behind -anything- in FFXIV, no unanswered questions, no nothing!
So what does FFXIV have? Can we even make 2 pages worth of questions about the world of FFXIV?
This is where you failed us SE. You give us no lure, no mystery, no reason to adventure. And after all, that is what we are supposed to do, isn't it? Adventure, right? What worse is you made FFXI then FFXIV, giving us a game to compare it to. You guys have made an amazing game before, what stopped you this time round? Budget? Time restrictions?
Don't get me wrong though, I know FFXIV will be seeing a remodel of zones and more storyline quests, but can it really compete with such a world known as Vana'Diel? A world which I will remember. Can Eorzia really become as deep and meaningful as Vana'Diel?