Where is all the content?

[Gothicshark]

This expansion really feels to me like a rehash of pretty much everything we've had before.

I also am well aware this opinion will invoke the ire of the much lauded "community".

Well you posted bait, what do you expect esp when you are wrong on most counts.

Gearsets
In this new expansion we have one set of "new" gear, which is the AF gear for each class. Everything else is re-used from either SHB or STB, some of which isn't even dyeable. Where has the effort been in this? The new crafted gear is a reuse of PVP gear which the majority of people didn't even like.

No change from past expansions here, I think Stormblood was the first to reign in the overabundance of gearsets every 2 levels. Reskinning older gearsets for white quality, and dungeon drops.

Music
Fate bosses still have the ARR music... Why?

Why change? it's minor optional content used for leveling and the earning toys.

Raid tier doesn't have a second theme.

Why? Not needed, having a few new scores for the raid is good, having a new score for every version of every fight is exsessive.

Lot's of reused music throughout the expansion, the new map "Dungeon" hasn't even changed even though it's a completely different lore based area.

Here's a hint, every song in every Final Fantasy Game has reused music from previous Final Fantasy Games, it's not an issue, hells every song in the game is a call back to something from another game.

Zones
Ultima Thule is the smallest zone we have EVER had based on walkable terrain. Labyrinthos is also tiny compared to the likes of Heavenswards areas or even Stormblood. The Ruby sea? All zones in EW have at LEAST half of the area available to explore. The Mare Lamentorum was hailed as a completely new world for us to explore and yet it's as big as both areas of Uldah put together.

This is a non complaint, each area is big enough for the content it contains and the set dressing, they don't have to recreate tatooine for each new zone. (Star Wars Galaxies an early Sony MMORPG use to make worlds so big it could take days to cross them, besides a few random spawns between cities, there was nothing but an endless walk unless you used a shuttle service. It was a terrible design choice in 2003 and it is still a terrible design choice.

Voice acting

Now I am not going to disagree much here, as I would love to see the game fully voice acted ala Star Wars The Old Republic, but my hope is that they would start with VO the MSQ and all Cut Scenes first, then if they could all optional content. BTW Raids are optional content.

Server issues
Need I say more? The excuse of covid doesn't fit when I can easily go onto a server hosting company and pay for a server to be setup to the same level as the servers which Square use in their datacenters in the EU. With almost 24 hour deployable time. This can easily be seen

So much fail, do you have a degree in this? I do. And no for an MMO with a custom engine like FFXIV, and WOW they can't just willy nilly use someone elses servers to host the game. They have to order custom servers, with exacting specifications, and then they have to install their own custom Server OS (Usually based in Linix, not sure what SE uses) Their servers have to play well on Sony's Network and on the regular Internet. You can't use sign up for a Amazon Server and do that. Nor would Square or any large company use a service like Amazon to host their games. ESP when Amazon has a record of stealing code and content.

Also the biggest issue with ordering Servers right now, is the lack of Usable Silicon, its a real world issue that is starting to affect many industries.

Story issues

All your opinions, and most of us disagree, if you dislike the game, you can go play something else, you might be happier.

Overall, I absolutely adore this game and it's been a complete passion of mine for near enough a decade now. ...

I would say you have lost the passion, and should leave, because you clearly are becoming Toxic.