Sort of agree with OP. I think it is smarter, and more compelling, to intertwine real, and challenging content, with story. I think of CoP as a good example. Are side-quests appropriate in this game? Sure, they give a little background into the individuals that fill Eorzea. But, I think they should be icing on the cake used to accentuate an already developed concept (in this analogy, the cake). Therefore for FFXIV development, I think they should be put really low on the priority list moving forward. Certainly a nice-to-have imo, although before there were any people were going nuts for them, so I guess it depends on your view.