1) I love open world games, especially when FF does it (i.e. XII, XIV, and maybe XI - I never played it). I don't think they've given up on them, I think they just try to switch things up. X was linear; XII was open; XIII was linear; XV might be linear because it used to be Versus XIII; I assume XVI will be more open.

2) I agree that the online ones should have been called something else. I never got to play XI, so X-2 counts as "the eleventh FF" for me. I did play XIV 2.0 for three months, long enough to beat the whole main story, and thoroughly enjoyed it, but have no real interest in going back.