I've found that if you play the main story quest with the outlook of constantly expecting the next level gain or big primal fight, yes it feels as fluffy with filler quests as it is. It's overflowing with fluff and fetch quests and can make things feel like a drag, and yet this is an improvement over the original FFXIV.

Alternatively, playing in the exact moment of whatever quest it is, shifting my focus to that exact story or motivation instead of anticipating the next big event or experience gain...I find myself having a wonderful time most of the time.

But thats me