NPC Retainer Companion Ideas

I know this may sound like a broken record but I really do miss my NPC companions from FFXI and 1.0. I do like the direction where the trust system is taking us but having a NPC companion out with me in the world made a big difference in the amount of time I spent in game. I know the squadron exists but it's not the same. I don't want to dungeon crawl all the time. I want to spend time in the these new zones.

As I am doing MSQ, I find that no one plays in the environments. Beautiful zones, but empty still. What's the point of making these large expansive areas if no one plays them? Most people feel that there is no point in killing the wild life for exp because we all have other means of leveling jobs. I noticed even fates are being skipped and it's usually just me trying to solo this fate. I feel like I too would spend more time exploring the zones and hunting mobs for experience and an more immersive feel if I had something driving me to do so.

I LOVED farming and buying gear for my NPC companion. They are so close with the retainer system. I don't mind paying ventures as a form of currency to spawn my npc for an hour or two in a zone and level grind them. Get them new clothing and weapons, do fates and explore with them. Maybe have a version of the hunting log where more targets are bonus experience on top of the daily hunts. Where they can bring you back to stormblood and HW areas for the mobs to get experience for your NPC. Maybe it will get more people out in the world doing different things.

I don't know. Just some I had while going through Shadowbringers MSQ.
Any other ideas? I have a few, but i am wondering if others have thought about this as well. :)