Objective or Goal of FFXIV?

[PawPrince]

I sort of understand where Crossline is coming from---though I guess I enjoy the talking and exploration points a little more thoroughly.

Still, I just finished Souls Gone Wild, and the game just kind of dumps me off too soon on my own, with absolutely no continuing quest line and no real objective.

The questy prologue is great. Yeah, I can tell there is some kind of darkness unfolding over Twelvewood, but my character seems to have no real reason to even exist at all. And it's not like in FFXI, where I know I can always go to the gate house and see if a new mission is available whenever I'm ready to move on. But here, I don't have the slightest clue what to do....or when, which is highly frustrating.

I don't feel like Eorzea is the kind of place I can create my own reason to be there, because frankly the game's systems seem overly complicated, backwards, and demotivational. Not at all interested in playing to craft or rank up, or even to make friends, any more than absolutely necessary. Didn't come here intending to bash the game, but my point is I just want to play for the story....but the way the game progresses, I'm left bewildered and wondering---what in the hell do I do next to make the story go forward, ffs??? Or is there an actual finished story in this game at all?

Someone please tell me what to do next!