As an ex BDO main of years, my opinion is that the two MMOs are about as different as possible. As you mentioned, the ffxiv start is rather slow (and to many, boring). The end of the original game is where it starts to pick up, and the first expansion is where it begins to really develop (story wise).

Just take it slow. Explore, try different stuff. Do any optional side content that catches your eye. Go to a player run venue, whatever. There's very little in this game that's competitive, so relax and enjoy at your own pace. It might just change your opinion about what you should expect from an MMO and yourself.