FFXIV moved away from auto-attack while WOW went without... how odd.

[Frein]

I'm fine with no auto attack as long as there are fun buttons to push during combat that aren't simple 'Light Stab' which simulate auto attacking anyway.

This.

Blizzard stated that their goal with the monk was to make a class that plays like a fighting game. Pre-AA FFXIV never felt like a fighting game. Everything stemmed from your TP builder which was the basic attack you'd spam a lot regardless of the situation.