I put a lot of hours into the last huge patch, 1.18, and even with all the improvements it still sucked. I'll be trying it again next week when 1.19 comes out, but only because it's free. This game has a lot going for it and I really hope It gets fun eventually. I dunno though...
Ok, but how far in were you BEFORE the improvements? If you're level 25+, you kind of miss out a bit in this wave of improvements since you're already halfway done, lol.
The instances are great though, and the fact that Tuesday is going to rule, makes it even better.
I grabbed a FFXIV controller for 12$ on amazon. It works on my PS3, I beat Deus Ex with it. Its the best 12$ USB joystick ever. The handles are longer, so its easier to hold!
Alot of the current updates are more "under the hood" mechanics. Price fixes, NPC tweaks, crafting/recipe overhauls. Little things you wouldn't really notice until you really dig in.
Once they torch Physical Level and go back to classic jobs, that's when shit will get real, and games like RIFT will panic.