I'd say it's quite a bit different. Male Miqo'te are uncommon, and those who choose to adventure are exceedingly rare; the Au Ra basically *do not exist* in 2.0.

Adding a new starter-area for them allows them to blend into the game-world a lot more, as well as provide opportunity for new players to enjoy the new Jobs, thus avoiding one of the biggest hurdles that FFXI had for newcomers.