i don't think the leveling needs to be a means to endgame either, though i want it to be mostly party play grinds over quests. i took a year to hit my first class max in ffxi. lots to do all the way threw, many barriers and things to distract you from reaching that goal. and that is how it should be. but even more. when i heard ffxiv the new final fantasy mmo was going to come out i was thinking everything ffxi was but way way more. more barriers, more zones that you need to go threw missions and battles in groups to open and unlock. more ships to unlock, more more more. but for this to work you need speed bumbs and they need to be mandatory. you can't have a way to jump to the end. but it would be epic and fun mmo, imo.