I'll start out by saying I don't have the game yet, but when I get it for Christmas I will explode in my pants. These are all things I have heard, but maybe you haven't:
It's very simple actually, go make new friends (or tell those friends on FFXI to put there rear in gear and make them switch). Finally, as you said before big time suck (I know your pain I played FFXI though for not a long time it was still a time suck). You get an exp bonus for leaving for a couple of hours so, you get rewarded for being a casual gamer (which I am). Graphics rock, easy to find the IMPORTANT Npc's (they have pretty things next to there name :D). Money (so gil sellers won't be as prosperous) does not seem much of an issue and no warnings for botters, instant ban. Finally, combat's great, customizable abilities, and finally no more crab crab after crab (finally you can be more than the Emirald of Chaos!). If I remember the X-play episode (props to that show i love it), in which they preview it they were killing yehti's early on :D.
I think you see this outweighs FFXI ten to one.
So what are you waiting for? Join us!