MSQ

[Nims]

But thats what people mean by saying this is a story-focused MMO: That the story is the center piece of this particular game. I actually havent played other MMOs but from the impressions I've gathered (and from what your post right here implies) some other games - like WoW - might also have a story and lore, but not everything tied as close to it as we have in FFXIV.

Final Fantasy games have traditionally been games with a heavy story-focus that included you sitting through 30 minute cutscenes at times without "playing" the game at all. Clearly thats not for everyone and thats fine! Its just that thats what you have to expect from a Final Fantasy game - an involved story thats "forced" on you, with lots of cutscenes and dialouge and less of a "here is your endgame, now start playing the game".
I dont think people deny that other MMOs have a story and/or lore - its just not as much a focus as it is in FFXIV. Even without ever having played WoW I can say that I never got the impression that the story was the selling point of that game (I've only read a few articles when new expansions launched and they never felt like you would absolutly need to play the game for its amazing story). With FFXIV thats different: a lot of people came here or are here mainly for the story. And those who arent... well, can either skip cutscenes or look for a different MMO that shifted its focus from the storytelling-aspect of the genre to something else.

Again, there’s just as much focus on the lore in other mmos. The developers just aren’t self absorbed and don’t force it on you. I suggest you actually play other mmos before trying to compare them with how much lore they have or how “focused” they are.