Progression path: Grinding VS Questing

[Imoen]

I am pretty sure I can find a lot of quests in Rift, WoW or EQ 2, that took less time to complete (accounting the fact you can do multiple quests at once) than completing a single teleport in FFXIV.

I agree, but part of you completing them in a timely manner is *Pick up 5 quests > run in one direction > do a circle completing them all> then return to quest givers and turn them all in.* (At least for WoW and Rift anyway, don't remeber EQ2 much.)