I think Yaichiro is talking about the endgame tome grinding and raid progression. Those basically require you to do daily dungeons and raids to progress.

If you're not interested in that, the crafting and gathering system in FFXIV is actually very deep. About the only game that comes remotely close to it is Elder Scrolls.

Fortunately for you, there's a whole new set of endgame content focused on gathering and open-world exploration in the upcoming patch update in November. There's a ton of fun to be had with your own airships.