This kind of echoes what was said in a previous post, but the way I would always try to describe FFXI to people was that, rather than taking Final Fantasy and shoe-horning it into a standard MMO format, SE took a Final Fantasy game and put it online, working common elements of MMOs into it (MMOs of that time, of course).

They seemed to have come at it from the opposite direction of how many MMO developers do these days, and it worked for them. They created a MMO that was "familiar" to those with previous MMO experience (EQ1, etc) but still felt like its own unique game; which it was in many ways. There was nothing else out there quite like FFXI.

I think if they are taking that same approach, starting with "what is Final Fantasy" and then making it work in a MMO framework that's in line with what people are used to today, it could be just as good.

It seems like that's the direction they're going with it.. but... won't be able to tell 'til I' can actually experience it.