IMPORTANT NOTE: If you get it on their website you can get base A Realm Reborn (ARR) and Heavensward on the free trial! There is no free trial option on steam to my knowledge so get it here if you plan on staying with it or just want it through steam! ALSO do not combine Steam and their website downloads! If you get one stick with it because you can't buy expansions from the website and use the code on your steam-client-linked launcher and vice-versa! From one of my friend's experience

Story: Genuinely one of the best stories I've had the pleasure of experiencing in games
Combat: Fluid and feels good no matter the job about 90% of the time
Class/Job Balance: Astoundingly good. Every single one is viable for all content
"gearscore": There's an ingame ilvl for gear but as long as you're at minimum required you can get into content and be effective. It just helps to be at the max a fight allows. Not many people gatekeep content parties on the Crystal datacenter at least from what I've seen so far
Toxicity: Of course there is some it's multiplayer and an mmo but nowhere near the level of WoW from my personal experience
Job diversity: Extreme. Wanna stand in one spot and cast forever with major damage? Black Mage. Wanna play a healer with an ability for any situation possible? Scholar. Want a melee dps that can function as a semi-viable tank in specific circumstances? Monk. Ranged dps that focuses on buffing the party's dps? Dancer. Tank that is 3 dps in a trenchcoat but can accidentally off themselves sometimes? Gunbreaker.
That's not even half of the jobs btw

Just remember! If you come into this game wanting to hate it that's exactly how you'll leave.