Map System

[RiversideGuy]

Both FFXIV & WoW have very similar issues with their maps... as in they represent only a vague idea of what the terrain really is like. Mostly having do with terrain obstacles, like hills and such. It can look very smooth on the map, but you can be facing a steep hill seemingly blocking your way.

One thing helpful "over there" is quest locations may have a down or up arrow, giving you an idea if it is located above or below your position. Can be very helpful. I have heard FFXIV used to have such a feature, but apparently there was much crying about how it made the game too easy, so SE removed that feature. When I hear about this kind of thing, I just wonder if the "crying" comes from those who have already gone through the MSQ line, have leveled to cap and are enjoying end-game raids and such. Not to mention the whole "pitch black at night" thing FFXIV does that the other guys don't. I find myself very frequently waiting for daylight because traversing some areas are very very hard in pitch black night.

[Niwashi]

I actually thought the game's mapping system was quite easy and intuitive, except that it does get a bit more complex when dealing with multiple levels. In the original ARR regions, there's only a few limited areas where that's even an issue and they're easy enough to learn, but Heavensward expanded that problem without providing a solution to it.

Not to mention the whole "pitch black at night" thing FFXIV does that the other guys don't. I find myself very frequently waiting for daylight because traversing some areas are very very hard in pitch black night.

Check your game's "System Configuration" settings. I think you've got it set too dark. At night, it may well be too dark for things like trying on outfits, as colors can be a little hard to make out, but aside from that you should be able to see fine for the most part. (The nighttime game world is actually quite pretty.)