Truth be told, the fear many in the community hold (as do I to a small extent), is that FFXIV:ARR will be the latest failed World Of Warcraft clone in a long line of failed World of Warcraft clones. At least with FFXIV 1.0, it failed on its own unique terms. What is worse, failing a test using your own answers ... or failing a test copying answers from someone else??

Many of the previous MMORPG failures released after World of Warcraft fall into the category of "Copy World Of Warcraft + Add a Novelty/Gimmick".

IF FFXIV:ARR tries to do the same, it will suffer the same fate.

But if Producer/Director Yoshida can re-establish a foundation of well designed and redesigned features like the Armory System, Materia, Retainers, Crafting, Guildleves, FATE, Chocobos, and Airships ... at a certain point they stop being gimmicks and become unique content.

For example, chocobos can easily be considered just another gimmick; just a universe specific mount. A "horse-bird". Except in FFXIV:ARR, this "horse-bird" mount can fight along side you.

So it's a pet then ... that you can also use as a mount. Slightly more interesting now, isn't it??

Building off that foundation, maybe you can also have your chocobo compete in races at some sort of gambling amusement park ... shaped like a Gold Saucer because of the large racing track it has. Maybe you can even raise your own chocobos, and breed in either more combat traits (like strength and accuracy) or racing traits (like speed and control).

At this point, chocobos are no longer a one-dimension mount replacement gimmick. They are a cornerstone (one of many), of an interestingly different world. String enough of these cornerstones together ... and you have another Final Fantasy.