I've done a good chunk of the lvl 1-20 quests in all cities and I really don't think they're that bad. Yes, they are pretty standard MMO quest fare... go here and talk to this person, kill 10 rats, collect 8 spores, etc. But the writing and the lore are slightly above average if you ask me. Most did a good job of fleshing out the world and that's sort of the point IMO. Not every little sidequest can be super awesome and epic. But I'm a new returning player so I'm far from jaded at this point.