Disclaimer: I have not played ffxi. Dont accuse me of nostalgia
When i look at the world of Ffxiv i am disapointed. When lvling we visit every single location. There are no secrets. There are nothing that indicates its a world as opposed to a themepark ride. There should be empty expanses. There should be empty places, random caves reachable useless mountain tops. Yes gameplay wise it might be weird from a dev standpoint to make these, but if they make the world feel like a world i think its worth it.

Everything doesnt need a purpose. I want to climb the mountains and explore the seas. Even if they are mostly empty. I want to sail a boat for hours encountering nothing only to get attacked by a kraken. I want to experience the large world the story indicates. In the weeping city its silly. I cant even experience going up a flight of stairs, no theres a loading screen. I want to travel long distances. I want large deserts, reaching as far the eye stretches.

Like the real world, much space is just empty, with a few scattered landmarks. i dearly hope one day ffxiv will reflect that. Although i am afraid it never will.

Empty space makes landmarks special, but if every inch is special, no place is.