If you insist on arguing with me:
An equivalent to Norg is the Mistbeard Cove. There is some telling about how difficult it is to get there. You have to run, for the first time, all the way through La Noscea until you get to Camp Bald Knoll, wherein you have to run into Mistbeard Cove, then run past a lot of difficult enemies before you get to the gates of the real city. It's a lot of work.
I've been to Norg several times in the past week. Would you like to know how I got there? I warped (teleported) from wherever I was to Northern San D'Oria, then teleported from there to the outpost in Elshimo Lowlands. I then ran on foot to the entrance of Sea Serpent Grotto, and then through the cave to Norg.
Would you like to know how to get to Mistbeard Cove? You teleport to Camp Bald Knoll, then run on foot to the entrance of Mistbeard Cove, then run through the enemies until you get to the city door. It is exactly parallel to FFXI and thus, your desperate argument has been defeated.
Next. Teleporting from Gridania to Limsa Lominsa is absurd to you. Well, under your proposed revision of teleporting only to another Aetheryte, you would in fact still be able to teleport from the Aetheryte in Gridania to the Aetheryte in Limsa Lominsa, and thus, your desperate argument is defeated.
Next. What's the use of the boat after the 1st time? You mean like the 1st and only time I took the boat from Mhaura to Aht Urghan Whitegate? That's right, I rode that boat exactly one time. And I'm glad I didn't have to wait 45 real minutes of my life to ride that boat every time I wanted to get to and from Whitegate. I'll offer up my own opinion on why the world felt so massive in FFXI even though there was an NPC in each nation that would insta-teleport you to Whitegate.. the world felt massive because of the sheer amount of zones. Teleporting across the world to a place with different scenery and plenty of things to do felt like being in an incredibly massive world. It worked in FFXI and it'll work in FFXIV.
You say you need an incentive to ride a boat. Listen, making everybody ride that boat between Limsa and Ul'Dah is not what we need. It's fine if you run out of anima. It's there. The run there and back is nice. It's nice only because you aren't forced to do it. You can do it for pleasure. Which is how I suggest you approach it. The most fun I've had in FFXIV has been gathering together a full party and exploring Eorzea on foot, without teleporting. Nothing is holding you back but yourself.
You say you are sad because you see a lifeless world. That's because there is nothing to do in the world. You see people at the places where there is the only content to even do. Just wait until there is more content, then you will see plenty of people coming and going, especially on your first trip to attune to the Aetherytes in the new zones. When chocobos are added people will be mounted up and exploring on their own, or running out to complete quests and visit locations that aren't near an Aetheryte. Just chill and stop making a claim that is pissing off people. There is a way for everybody to have fun and be satisfied without creating a needless time sink. Your time is worth more than that.