Even zone design and traversal is formulaic

[Absurdity]

That has been a thing since ARR.

The big difference is that ARR buildings at least had the decency to put a "No Entry" sign in front of doors you couldn't go through.

ARR was the only time where you had a significant amount of buildings in the zones that you could enter.
The smaller zones also had more small details in the environment, be it clutter, camps, interiors or just NPCs doing their thing.

Then ever since basically Heavensward, and the introduction of flying, the zones became huge but rather bland and lifeless.

[JohnLakeside]

The half-half structure wouldn't even be bad if the zones themselves were designed interestingly and immersively. Currently replaying ARR on an alt and I am blown away by how awesome it is going through those zones for MSQ. It really was peak and I unironically dislike everyone who says ARR has the worst zones. Fools, the lot of them.

ARR was the only time where you had a significant amount of buildings in the zones that you could enter.
The smaller zones also had more small details in the environment, be it clutter, camps, interiors or just NPCs doing their thing.

Then ever since basically Heavensward, and the introduction of flying, the zones became huge but rather bland and lifeless.

ARR has over 40 enterable buildings/rooms with doors that open and close. I've counted. ShB, the expansion fools say has the best zones, only has 12ish enterable buildings. I've counted. LAME!!!