I stopped playing FFXIV because I didn't like the direction CBU3 was taking it in, and because of that I was also unexcited for FFXVI last year. From reading about it (both in this thread and over that past 6 months) it sounds like it was a correct skip, for me at least.

I had some really good times in FFXIV and have fond memories, and it still is a good product for what it is. But hearing FFXVI having simplistic combat, shallow RPG-mechanics and a slow story full of filler quests that ruin the pacing does not surprise me at all.