FFXIV doesn’t really have mandatory grind. They instead make the main story actually good (better than most other FF games) and so people will buy the expansion packs even if they don’t stick around every other month.
I agree but there’s a reason I didn’t say “literally every MMORPG does this.” FFXIV definitely stands out as a notable exception. SE is also big enough that they don’t need FFXIV to generate insane revenue to justify its existence, and good on them for making good use of that. It’s a profitable title that has also built them a lot of good will as a company, good will that’s been sorely needed lately.
My point is, most MMORPGs depend on giving you relatively simple tasks but finding ways to make them take three hours.
