Both Asiane and Jokers mention reasonable points. But again, my hope is that the overall leveling pace be altered once content is introduced, and that (just like it happened in FFXI after Level Sync became an option,) the higher-level gear you might be wearing on entering, scales down, just as you do when your level is capped.

The Jobs issue is, with a bit of imagination and work, solvable as well.

I am optimistic that come V. 2.0, and with it population and more technical flexibility, the game can find different pace and strike a new rhythm. Perhaps then, a protracted Mid-Level stage will warrant more solid content.

And by the way, I also long for a much richer open world, and with open dungeons... But I don't want instances, which are here to stay, to appear like blemishes of blandness, all over the world's geography.

R