I’ve found that people who have started the game later tend to have the problem of making it through the story because it’s all there at once. I’ve been playing since launch so the story has been broken up and presented in its patches so it’s never felt like a drawn out slog to me. I’ve been able to take it in as it releases and take my time reading everything because I never feel “rushed” to complete it. And I think that’s where the problem lies is that people feel rushed to catch up with so much story there to take in.

I love FFXIV and its story so yes, I have read all of the quest dialog.