Engaging environments require engaging design. You talk about exploration and secrets but everyone knows there isn't all that much to explore in the game. If people had a reason to go outside of their levequest areas other than for harvesting, then maybe it would feel like players were going somewhere with a purpose.

When the game was launched people were spending hours each day walking so that they wouldn't use up all of their anima. It was immensely boring because there is no purpose to anything in Eorzea; that's what led to today's system.