As a new player that really likes this game ...

[RichardButte]

Players can progress character power without raiding, and the gap in gear power between those who raid and those who don't is very small compared to other mmo's that accentuate raiding as their primary endgame.

While true, endgame progression isn't just about gear but by which raids your group has been able to overcome. Also, if you don't raid, why gear up at all?

As for what players who aren't raiding do, my guess would be unsub until there's more story content added, since Yoshi-P said in an interview that many players do this and that the devs are actually fine with it (the sales from the xpac will carry the team during the lower sub numbers).

If you don't raid, what do YOU do once you've hit the end of the MSQ?

Change everything about FFXIV so it's just a WoW clone.

No one who's actually a fan of XIV would ever say something like this.... except the OP did. Hmmmm guess he's not a fan then.

Making the story quest not gate content ≠ turning XIV into a WoW clone.

XIV is already a WoW clone: everything in XIV's player progression, from the level cap being raised via expansions to collecting gear to raise your item level, to quests ferrying you from zone to zone, is taken directly from WoW (which took some of this from Everquest, if we're being honest).

One of the key reasons Yoshi-P was chosen for his role is his extensive knowledge of and experience with western MMOs, including WoW. He even talked in an interview about how much time he spent chasing down a copy of Everquest back in the day.

How can people say "OH NOES!! WOW CLONE!!!" and not realize they're playing one?

All the WoW clones died short anguished deaths yet FFXIV is still around and healthy....clearly SE is doing something wrong.

The Final Fantasy brand name still holds a lot of sway over people, but XIV is ultimately still around because it's the best-made WoW clone out there that offers enough to its players that it can succeed primarily from selling xpacs.