In response to the OP: This is one of the things we kind of lost with the transition to a pure themepark design unfortunately. The game is designed around presenting story content in a set compared to being an open place to really explore, so areas are more detailed, but they are tailored the same way I tailor areas in a Dungeons and Dragons adventure. Unfortunately it's one hurdle game designers have trouble crossing: how to address the problem of a player wanting to explore outside the story area. I think it would be good if they had sections designed for the story and then sections designed for free roaming, which is probably what the team behind EQ are going for in Everquest Next, though I'm still waiting on that one.