The biggest thing this game needs is something that we can not only sink hundreds of hours into, but also get some sort of visceral reward from doing.

Exploring maps in 2.0 is one of the things I am talking about. Thankfully Yoshida seems to apreciate the fact that it's not only instilling a sense of exploration and fear of the unknown but also giving us a task that could possibly take ages to fully complete and only build upon that with new zones.

Things like card games, casinos, bestiaries that don't really "Reward" you with something like a new axe or new hat, but with the accomplishment of completing your collection, winning it big, or loosing it all.

The game needs things to experience that aren't geared around the main fulcrum point of endgame. Yoshida said himself we wants a themepark feeling well getting us more than one thing to focus on (Our characters are the only thing to focus on as we speak) is one of those things.

Casino games (Minigames whatever)
Collectable cards
Bestiary
Amazing quest lines
Dynamic housing (Furnishing yada yada)
Achievments
Exploration

All of these things need to be present (Some are in the works and slightly ingame as is) for a true sprawling experience to be acheived. I hope Yoshida is well on his way to designing the proper themepark for us and not making it a childs waterpark with shallow and hollow content.