What steps could the devs take to better the Open World in XIV?

[Laphicet]

There is no reason to think flight is the "problem" with the Open World since you have to explore each area you can fly in and finish the MSQ quests for an area before you can fly there.

The complaint here is that the world often seems to be designed with flying in mind rather than with walkiing around in mind, several areas just being large bowls with landmarks scattered about and mostly open land with enemies peppered throughout (worst offenders are places like the Azim Steppe, Ruby sea, and Dravanian Hinterlands).

[DPZ2]

The complaint here is that the world often seems to be designed with flying in mind rather than with walkiing around in mind, several areas just being large bowls with landmarks scattered about and mostly open land with enemies peppered throughout (worst offenders are places like the Azim Steppe, Ruby sea, and Dravanian Hinterlands).

There are plenty of enemies around, yes. They are there to prevent you from idly wandering around without paying attention. Those landmarks are shared by the MSQ, side-quests and gathering-while-leveling. It might be a pain walking around: hills, forests, narrow trails -- terrain in general -- is like that in real life as well.

The only places in each expansion that were 'designed for flying' from the get-go are the ones you cannot reach until you get a side-quest to do so, generally after you've finished the MSQ and received flight in the area. There is always at least one area in each expansion you cannot fly in until you hit the upper edge of the level cap (Sea of Clouds, Fringes, Peaks, and that big area in Shadowbringers (whose name I won't mention).