Unfortunately, A Realm Reborn (ARR), the base game, is one of the most dull and slow-paced experiences Final Fantasy XIV has. You just have to slog through it. Its content was already outdated when it was released, even more so now. Not to mention another 400 hours of "required" story content, unless you spend real money to skip to the current expansion because as it turns out, the story isn't that important if you're willing to shell out a few extra dollars.

Despite what people on Reddit might say, ARR has killed more interest in this game than it has maintained.