FFXIV shows what's wrong with MMOs (Not what you think)

[Emstidor]

Yoshi P already addressed your point for us.

https://i.imgur.com/VtCUHXa.png

[Shurrikhan]

Yoshi P already addressed your point for us.

https://i.imgur.com/VtCUHXa.png

Complaints are worth twice as much as compliments...

...so be sure to ignore them at least twice as often?

I kid, but I'm just not certain what you intended this quote to apply to...
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@OP
XIV is not at all unique in having a running storyline from start to cap. Imo, there are a couple that also do that better, even, while many others are just as apt to continually increase story content even after the level cap.

And while I'm glad you're enjoying the story, I severely doubt that it's the dominant reason for play for the playerbase as a whole. My own anecdotal experience of some 200+ players I've really discussed this with over the years would put it closer to 15%, and surveys online likewise seem to place it as a significant but far from dominant reason.

In the end a person's main reason for playing will be their own, and as such I don't see how anyone could say that a game is "only about the story" any more than they could say "only about the character options". We can measure objectively what is most often discussed about the game, what goals or areas of interests are given, towards what development costs are spent, towards what ingame hours are spent by players, and what players think that reason is for themselves as individuals, but there is no sole reason around which an MMO will be built, if even any game. Heck, usually the more inseparable the components seem, the more favorably the game is received.