Game doesn't feel that epic anymore

I've been around since 1.0 and 2.1+ is way better in terms of mechanics and overall graphics,storyline and game play etc etc. no problems with that.

The thing that i have a problem with is there no more adventuring anymore; Everyone can cover Drybone, Blackbrush, even the Sagoli Desert in seconds. There's just no where to explore anymore.

at least in 1.0 you could run and run and run or ride into the middle of nowhere and see some castle and be like wow thats cool and do a bit of exploring; now you can cover most maps in seconds and i feel like a pet in a box.

I've been to every dungeon.. IE coil, CT, Primals etc.; thats not to say I've beat them but really even if you died 40 times on Titan extreme or iffy in the end you still know what to expect right? you either win or lose but in the end your still on the same rock.. and in the end you get transported out to do it all again and again and again.

Theirs just no surprises anymore.

I thought a lot about this subject myself. Thing is, we're playing the wrong kind of game for that. ARR is all about modernization, and ease of access after all. I'm not saying that it's a bad thing, because i've come to accept that it simply is what it is, and I enjoy all of the other elements enough to play (for now). If you find that you can't find that same level of enjoyment for the game being what it is, or it REALLY irks you, then I say take a step back, play other games and see if maybe one off those others fits you better. If it turns out they don't, I think you'll find that coming back into the game after a break provides a good hindsight on your perspective. Just my two gil, take it for what it's worth.

Expansion packs will probably bring new landmasses with several new maps to explore. They might not be big but at least it will be a change from the usual drybone, blackbrush, etc

Yeah you nailed it;glad I'm not the only one that felt the same way; but I thought I was playing Final Fantasy i guess i just expected more then maybe I should have. I never knocked 1.0 for being a huge world; I just wish this ARR was as big so at least it felt like we were in a super large expansive world.

There's probably not going to be any large scale changes to the world until the first expansion hits. Then you'll traverse the world within a couple days and be at the same point again.

The difference between this game and older games is the time in which it takes to do things. It might take a year to explore all the various places in FFXI because of how long it took to actually get to a level to where you feasibly travel (walk) through some areas. Here you can just hop on your mount and ride through everything.

The week before Valentine's Day, I set up Jera's Matchmaking Service in the PF. I asked people who joined a few simple questions about character preferences, then set them up on a blind "date" with another character that had a similar response in a romantic spot in the game. I filled up more than half my friendlist doing this for people, and it made me realize....

It's not the game that's "epic", it's the people and friends you make!

People were telling me about how they had butterflies, about their anticipation for waiting for someone, how they dressed up and bought gifts, how exciting it was, and how they became friends OUTSIDE the game, too. They forgot all about raising their ilevel from 85 to 86 and actually had a great time!

My point is, it's not ONLY SE's responsibility to make the game "epic" for people. They've given us tools to use, but we just have to have the creativity to apply them! If you don't consider your friends or the the people you meet to be reason enough to log in, maybe it's not the right game. As for places to go, I humbly challenge someone to go to the top of Hidden Falls in East La Noscea on a very clear night, and take the best screenshot of Costa Del Sol, then post it in this thread ^^
If you're bored, that is XD

In the end, even new expansions and new areas will be taken for granted, too.....

Also, I don't know if you've been following it at all but I played the ESO beta a couple weekends ago and it is VERY heavy on the exploration/discovery aspect, I loved it personally. check it out if you get a chance

I share your disappointment OP, I'm guessing the reason for it being underwhelming in that regard is simply because it is too easy. U can hit lvl cap fast, u can teleport anywere.
I'm still think they can expand this game to make it more epic without affecting the access ability by adding features that aren't tied to the main storyline.
I also feel the story needs a lot of work, much more depth and and much more detail. The idea of books such as in elder scrolls was nice addition to get into the story

You need to realize that the game is still in its infant stage... They created it fast and as low budget as they could because they were afraid of a failure... Give it a little bit and for them to create more content and soon you will have that vast world that you crave...

While many of the quests are repetition or delivery service type quests, i don't know at lvl50 i find their is lots to do. But do get what you are saying.
The 2.2 update will see new Primal, new dungeons and HM dungeons and of course new quests.
I have a strong feeling as well that since the 2.2 update is dubbed Maelstrom that the gun class will be implemented. Just my opinion of course