No, unless you are making a multi-million AAA high production value corridor single player FPS game there is no technical advantage to make linear restrictive maps.

Some environment artists and level designers can make man-made architecture levels better and faster than organic outdoorsy ones. MMOs are more generally better off being more hub-based and nonlinear in their environment designs and interconnection to get more reuse and feel less boring to the player that will need to traverse them many times.

I just can't help but feel like they rushed too much of SoA and used the 'conquering the wilderness' angle to allow them to make a bunch of corridor/cave areas. The expansion would have been much better received if it had a stronger beastmen/lost civilization theme integrated into their zones with ruins or other unique world elements.

I really have no desire to play the expansion or this game anymore if all I have to look forward to is a bunch of boring thoughtless outdoor corridors and caves.