What i feel is missing from current MMOs is the community aspect. FFXI did a great job making you interact with people. I liked the party system. Genkai was fun as well. Getting a group together to get paper etc. FFXI was really good at making people work together. Which is what Final Fantasy is about. Grouping up IE: Gain characters to fight against common enemies and learn everyone's story. Helping people was equally rewarding for me.

At least this is what i felt playing FFXI. I know some people prefer to play alone and solo and i get that but I didn't play a MMO to play by myself. lol.

The other thing I've felt that there isn't a sense of fear in FFXIV 1.0 besides lol... gear damage. No real sense of danger or repercussion for being stupid. Like falling down the hole in Garliage Citadel or traveling too deep into Eldime necropolis. Sneak/invis really added a element of cloak and dagger. FFXIV needs more of this IMO.