I'm actually not a fan of the change, neither the reduction nor the replacement of the Aether Currents. I liked to explore the map for that regard and it felt a bit like a reward. Also the completely uncovering the mini map as soon as you step foot on the map for the first time in older expansions also removes incentives to explore. It kind of just encourages the direct movement from quest giver to quest giver rather than getting to know the world and its surroundings.