If nothing else, it's interesting that they're commenting on such things. I've noticed that they seem to very quick to weigh in on both major and minor aspects of the game these days if there's even a bit of backlash. Whether they take such feedback on board and strike a better balance moving forward remains to be seen. Personally my problems with FFXIV in its current form extend beyond the story itself. If not for being lucky enough to own a mansion, I'd likely take a lengthy break - but if I lose that, I'd have zero interest logging into the game even if began catering to me directly.

FFXVI, at least, appears to me more to my tastes and there's a handful of upcoming MMO's that have piqued my curiosity. They're all a fair bit away from going live, unfortunately.