What is so bad about FFXI?

[Gramul]

In FFXI chocobos were on a timer and the developers hated fun. Everything was a punishment. (inb4 fatigue)

I beg your pardon madam, but I believe you're full of it.

Developers hated fun? Really? I had no idea the hours and hours of fun I had playing FFXI where all imaginary.

Considering the developer and their history with MMO's, there are certain things many of us have come to expect, nice things, things we like. Things like progression based gameplay, strategy over skill, multiplayer focus in a multiplayer game, fantastic areas abundant and varied, a game where you can't see almost everything from the start.

People have different tastes. What you think are improvements other people could easily consider them to be a step back. All I'm asking of you is to consider the idea that people hold different views not out of ignorance, but out of preference.

"Forward thinking" implies you're moving in a direction that leads to a goal. For video games, that goal is simply to entertain. Considering the fact that people can still be entertained by even something as archaic as NES games, I'd say the goal has been reached.
Any direction that still entertains is a fine direction. If anything, we're looking to test our boundaries, and if that means we can take somethings people have liked, and still do, then why not? It won't hold us back, if anything it will help us explore how far we can go. It can give us a strong and stable foundation to build our tower to the heavens.