The day i saw the new area design PDFs i was sold.
To me, storyboarding is everything that glues the rest together.
Take Xenoblade for example. Great premise, graphics, music and an entertaining battle system,
but shit storyboarding took the area progression in a boring, linear design that never surprised.
As a result, it's gigantic areas were like the current FFXIV, beautiful and mostly empty.
Its battles were interesting, but never made use of more interesting mechanics brought by progression changes.
(What is it about the surrounding area and circumstance that CHANGES the battle?)
Music was wonderful, but its placement more or less meaningless.
etc, etc,
As opposed to Xenogears. That game had purpose.

Now FFXIV 2.0, from the area PDFs we got some time ago, shows complete areas. Every corner of every zone, and there will be a lot of them is packed with SOMETHING interesting. Go take a look if you haven't. It speaks for itself.
Mind, if you don't like where the battle system is going, then you have a concern to consider, but every corner of these maps is a place. Even the tiniest sidequests will be more interesting when you go there. And the devs, when writing a scene, will be looking at them and writing better stories because of the inspiration they give. The music will finally have a place to fit more than it does currently, etc, etc, etc.

And generally speaking, by replacing the server system, i would think that the new one will be good. I really don't think they're going to screw something that basic up this time.

ALSO, the UI is going to be open to user mods, meaning, even if you don't like the UI, chances are you can go to X site and download a UI mod that is to your liking.

In other words, it's my feeling that unless you have substantial problems with the current direction of the battle system, 2.0 will deliver.