While a a fair amount of us do love the story and are invested in it it isn’t for everyone. There are a good chunk of people who skip through it and just enjoy the gameplay aspects of XIV. It’s a play how you want type of deal. I am glad you like the crafting and gathering aspects of it because that’s one of my favorite parts as well. Maybe one day you can slog through the story or bypass it completely to enjoy the components you do like.