My problem with leveling up in FFXIV.

[Rufalus]

Until you get to the final expansion there seems to be no reason at all to do any questing other than the msq.

This is another kind of design which I feel should be coming to the end of an era - the era of questing type of leveling progression in mmos which peppers maps with quest icons. I've come across so many people who dislike questing and only reluctantly do the ones that are necessary to unlock content. The majority of people on my friend list are like that.

I think an alternative should be an expanded in-game content guide tool which directs you to areas of interest and things you've not yet completed, but not in an overbearing way. You can opt in/out of tracking for certain content like world bosses, npcs who need help, temporary events. Quest chains should be focused on quality over quantity; no filler ones existing only for exp purposes. Instead the content that rewards exp should be focused on longevity / replayability imo. Deep dungeon is the best example in xiv of something that diverges from linear scripted design; I think that design principle should be more of a norm than an exception.