Questions about armor models in the game

[Anova]

I'm not sure about crafting or other related content, but you can probably get a feel for what endgame is like by visiting one of two quest hubs: Revenants Toll and Wineport. Conveniently, you will also see endgame armor models this way

Wineport is probably the easier hub to reach, with the caveat that it is more full early in the week and dies down by the weekend. To travel there, travel to Limsa Lominsa -East-> Middle La Noscea -NorthEast-> Wineport. This is the entry point for the last endgame dungeon, Coil of Bahamut. Most players will be advertising their PF, sending shouts, or otherwise chatting while they wait.

Revenants Toll is the other hub but it requires you to sneak past or outrun lv.40 monsters. It's not ideal unless you have a chocobo. This is the best place to see the most varied armor models though. To travel there, start from Old Gridania -West-> North Shroud -NorthWest-> Coerthas -Southwest-> Revenants Toll. Don't be afraid to ask a player to show off their vanity pieces either. Most will do it if even without you asking anyway.

Some servers have different times when they are active. As someone on Leviathan, I think Leviathan has a very active EST population. The PST on the other hand is actually quite a bit lower and you really feel it past midnight EST. Again, check the endgame hubs for a week to note any specific dates and times when they are active. Just make a character in limsa lominsa on a prospective server and check wineport once a day if you want to be thorough. From what I remember about the census though, Zalera is a less active server compared to Leviathan. It has been 4 months since then though, so things may have changed.