I don't think I've seen anything more divisive in an MMO than the MSQ in FFXIV.

It's definitely a slog if you haven't started until now, with 4 expansions and 300+ hours of MSQ to absorb to catch up. A solid chunk of the MSQ is pure filler, regardless of expansion, and with the vast majority just being a visual novel. When people say "it gets better", they only mean that the story does, the "gameplay" is the same from ARR to Shadowbringers and Endwalker.

I have no idea how people say "it's a great JRPG", considering there's almost no actual gameplay. You can't seriously tell me that FF7, Resonance of Fate, or Persona are comparable to the MSQ.

I recently started playing FFXI and was pleasantly surprised at how much GAME is in the story, I actually am PLAYING it.

Despite this however I think that Heavensward and Shadowbringers are worthy expansions to get through. The writing is surprisingly good in both, with Shadowbringers having a remarkable villain who steals the show in every scene he's in.

If ARR is dragging you down, honestly don't bother. Feel free to skip, since most of it is so forgettable and generic. Play Heavensward, try Stormblood (I didn't like it) and definitely go through Shadowbringers.

As for Endwalker, I haven't completed it yet, but found it very disappointing so far compared to Shadowbringers.

Edit: To be clear, when I refer to the MSQ "gameplay", I'm not talking about the actual in-game combat. I mean the quest design "read text boxes and watch cutscenes", which makes up vast majority of the MSQ.