Crash test dummy: Eorzea rebooted

So phase 2 of the FFXIV beta has drawn to a close with the third phase to start later this month. In spite of its laundry list of issues (weapon bugs, poor interface and balancing issues), it is still a solid game. So far the only two classes I've explored all that much are lancer and gladiator while dabbling in a bit of pugilist and marauder here and there. I'll share a few points that I feel are worth mentioning after the past couple of weeks.

The good

1. Beautiful landscapes really bring the world to life (this sounds some song-and-dance SE would use).
2. The ability to customize stats and add abilities acquired from leveling different classes is a very nice touch. To an extent this reminds me of RO, where being able to divvy up stats as you saw fit was one of the game's strong points. Of course, if you messed up somewhere and wanted to change things, you had to re-start from level 1 but I digress.
3. The guildleve system, which provides a means of making money and gear via short quests.
4. Ease of transportation thanks to aetherite crystals.
5. A separate physical level for which you can get exp by doing things other than killing monsters (such as mining or crafting).

The bad

1. The concept of equipment decaying with use. Now I realize just what it is they're going for with this here, but still it gets irritating. I shudder at the thought of repairing rare endgame cutlery with super-pricey crafting materials (think imperial wootz used for salvage bodies). I can see this getting very expensive very quickly.
2. Anima, or rather how super slow it recovers itself. Though this could just be from the beta. I know it's to prevent people from zipping around the world so quickly, but you're screwed if it gets too low. It could get problematic for those having to move from one end of the world to another. I can see it now; "Fifty DKP minus for not having enough anima to warp to the dungeon entrance!"

It was somewhat difficult to come up with these without crossing into "it's just beta" territory. Unlike with FFXI however, my anticipation for this is nowhere near "frothing" status. When FFXI was first announced in 2000, I was extremely excited. I hung onto every piece of info I could. As a result though, it fueled very high, if not unrealistic expectations of the game once it finally came here. That also led in part to my not giving it a fair shake in the beginning. Being more mature than I was at 21/22, I look at XIV for what it is -- a brand new game that happens to have the name "Final Fantasy". Yes, it has the familiar elements of its predecessors, but in a fresh new world. This is, for the most part, what keeps me coming back over the years.

Will XIV rise to the same level of grandeur as XI? We shall see in the coming years. I do hope that SE has learned from the many things that worked and didn't work with XI. So far with some of the things in place and those that are planned, it looks that way. Though my cynical side tells me "it's SE - they'll find some way to ruin it."