I only recently found out that XI was recently updated to be more accessible to new players, but I'm coming at this as someone who played the game from 2006-2008 and as you said, it was a game you have to commit to.

I just recently got XIV and as of patch 1.22 (i.e. the game has come a long way from its initial release so don't let an outdated opinion deter or scare you off), the game is far less brutal, though it does vaguely resemble its predecessor in those times. You can certainly get more accomplished in a shorter span of time, but it's still requires a bit more investment than something such as WoW. It's still somewhat sparse compared to the content most people expect from MMOs now, but that's yet to be something that's turned me off from it. Ironically enough, both games can be downright lonely as far as MMOs go, especially if you're someone prone to soloing like me.

As eyekas said though, it's cheap now (I got mine through Amazon for $10). If you loved XI, it's at least worth trying out for a month.