So far my experience with obtaining the flying ability on the zones has been a major disappointment. Western Coerthas Highlands, yeah that zone where Dusk Vigil is and where you play most of the main story from the beginning. So there I was, I completed all the quests in the zone and looked for the currents so I could finally fly on that zone. To get the flying ability on that zone, you kind of need to complete all the quests first, then you can fly. This was a disappointment because all that time I was traveling the zone, I was really annoyed by all the cliffs and annoying obstacles I needed to circle around before I could get from place A to place B. Then when I have absolutely nothing to do on that zone, all quests completed etc., only THEN I get to fly. Now flying there is pointless. There's nothing in the sky worth going for, so having a flying ability on that zone is just.. there's no point to it now that you've already done everything.
I gotta say I had no idea "what quests to focus on" so I could have only picked the ones with the current rewards. How could I know? Why should I know? So that I wouldn't have to annoy myself with running on land and circling the obstacles, but that shouldn't be required when clearing a game for the first time.
From my point of view, it would have been a lot better playing experience, if you'd have gotten your flying ability a bit more easily, while still having stuff to do on that zone when you have got it. For example, islands in the sky or whatever other stuff only accessible with flying. I haven't completed other zones yet, so it might be different elsewhere, this was just a good example, because most of the main storyline focuses on this zone when you enter Heavensward. Also there's way too many currents to be collected and way too much trouble you actually need to go through just to have a useless flying ability on a zone that has no sky content at all.
Yeah, I get all the "you're not supposed to get them instantly, but invest time in it" jada jada, but I just feel like this wasn't thought completely through on the dev department when the quests just end when you do get to fly :/ There was only one quest left to do and that was to save the kitten from that building roof, which as far as I know was only doable when you can fly.
All this hype of the flying mounts for us and then you get this on the first zone you actually journey into and start questing didn't feel really good. Would also be nice that there'd be zones where you don't need the currents, but the whole quest thing focuses on flying, but I don't think there is if it's made this way.