FFXI was an amazing MMO. Its prime time was destroyed by Abyssea, after which it became a farming clusterf**k extravaganza.
Just like Sky, and Sea, and Dynamis, and Einherjar, and Nyzul Isle, and Salvage, and ZNNs, and BCNMs, and...

... oh, pretty much all of XI was one long farming session. Why would anyone expects Abyssea to be any different?