That update history link seem to tell me that FFXI was a much more fun and casual (if buggy) game before the developer decides they need to "fine tuned" it after the players have accomplished all of the content and ask for more.

Then instead of adding a lot of contents, they just decides to make the old content harder and a few new content that takes forever so they can say "There is nothing to do? Have you got all job at 75? no? then go grind some more!".

To me it seem that FFXI was a game with good and fun foundation that SE decides they can't be bother to make many new content for, so they enlarge the time sink and make doing anything and everything take as long as possible. That design philosophy culminated into FFXIV, where doing anything and everything is a time sink. Want to craft? Please play a repetitive and boring mini game. Want to gather item? Please play a boring and repetitive mini game. Want to buy items? Please search for your items, run to several wards, look from north to south of each ward to find the bazaar you are looking for, buy, repeat.

What they "fixed" early on in FFXI is to make everything harder and take longer to do, what they want to fix here is to add fun to the game. I like the current development team, they are making the game much less frustrating to play, but the game has not become enjoyable.