A veteran RPG player is here to tell you that this game is the greatest MMORPG around... but it isn't for everyone.
First of all, you -cannot- lay judgment on a game that you have barely played. And yes, for Final Fantasy XI, 10 hours is nothing. I'm here to tell you the good and the bad of this game, and I'm going to be as honest as I can. As an owner of City of Heroes, City of Villains, World of Warcraft, Guild Wars, and Final Fantasy XI (for PC and PS2), I think my opinion is worth something.
-Graphics-
I don't know who said that WoW graphics were better than FFXI graphics, but they were crazy. This game is absolutely beautiful. It's graphics are very cinematic, with wonderful 3D rendering.
-Leveling-
You start out at Level 1, just like in all MMOs that I've played. You start out with basic equipment and basic attacks. This is probably the most boring part of the game. You most likely don't know anyone, and you might have 1 magic ability if you're lucky. From here, everything picks up. You get more and more abilities, weapon skills, and magic, which must be learned from scrolls. At roughly level 10, the need for a party becomes necessary. You'll be spending the majority of your grind time in parties (unless you're a beastmaster), so you'd best learn your job's role in battle.
Honestly, the grind time (time it takes to level) in FFXI isn't as bad as it is made out to be by WoW fanboys. There are now new items in the game that increase the amount of EXP earned in battle, and they help considerably.
-Job Classes-
There are many, many job classes, and more coming with the new expansion on the way, but you can only start out as one of six - Warrior, Monk, Thief, White Mage, Black Mage, Red Mage. All the classes are very balanced, each with their own strengths and weaknesses. Even though the starting six are considered basic job classes, they are still just as respectable as the advanced job classes, such as Beastmaster, Dragoon, Samurai, Ninja, etc.
Another really unique thing is that you can change job classes at any time during the game. Tired of being a black mage? Switch to warrior! It almost eliminates the need for more characters, which cost $1.00 more per month per character.
-Missions and Quests-
Unlike in other MMOs, missions on FFXI often take a lot of time to complete. They increase your rank of your home country, giving you more priveleges. One mission in particular, known very widely as 2-3, will take a few hours to complete and involves traveling half-way around the world.
Quests, on the other hand, are usually fairly quick, giving you small rewards and increases to your fame, which gives you priveleges and access to other more rewarding quests.
-Crafting-
I cannot review this too much because I am a very low-level crafter, but the system is very deep. Crafting takes a lot of time, and a lot of money. But once you get good at it, you've got it made.
-Story-
One of the greatest things about this game is the storyline; it is beautifully done. It's not half-done like in other MMOs. As you progress through the game and the missions, you get involved deeper and deeper with the world of Vana'diel. Cutscenes help accomplish this and make the game more cinematic.
-In Conclusion-
If you're looking for a stable, well done online game, with a cinematic flair and a little bit of Final Fantasy kick, and don't mind spending a bit of time, I encourage you to try this game out. As far as MMOs go, it is very affordable (The game is $20 by itself, and with the expansion only $30) and $12.95 per month. If you don't have the time to commit to the game, at the very least 10 hours a week, I think you would not find this game very enjoyable. This game is an underrated bit of online fun in an age where mindless cynical WoW fanboys run rampant.