It's not just "people who never played FFXI" who can't connect to it. My brother, who was an avid FFXI back in the day, just rolls his eyes. "I'm insulted by the blatant nostalgia-bait" were his precise words. "This isn't FFXI, it's just wearing it's face."

EDIT: He felt the exact same way about the Ivalice raids. FFT is one of his favorite FF games of all time, and he hated those too.