Amazing game all around but HORRIBLE map system

[Grenwal]

I think it takes you to the world map only when it's an area you haven't discovered.

[Niwashi]

I think it takes you to the world map only when it's an area you haven't discovered.

It depends on where you are. Using Drybone as the example, it's in Eastern Thanalan, so the possibilities are:
1) If you're also in Eastern Thanalan, it will bring up the Eastern Thanalan map with the specific location marked.
2) If you're in another Thanalan region (Western Thanalan, for instance), it will bring up the Thanalan map showing that Western Thanalan connects to Central Thanalan, which connects to Eastern Thanalan.
3) If you're in a completely different area, like the Black Shroud or La Noscea, it will go to the world map.

Then from any of these, you can zoom in and out, going from a regional map to the wider area map to the world map or back again. And you can follow region boundary lines to see, for instance, where in Eastern Thanalan the South Shroud to Eastern Thanalan boundary crossing will bring you. It does get easier once you've uncovered the whole map area, but even before that, you can at least see which regions connect to which other ones, which is generally enough to figure out how to get where you need to be.