You hit a point that I hadn't thought of. People had mentioned that the games armor is stuck behind weekly caps and that's always been the case since 2.0 (I think it used to have a 300 max cap). But the format is all being run like that now. To get anywhere in the new maps, you have to progress the main story. They feel like chunks of separate land that you have to Conquer and move on from rather than having it given all to you from the start. You can make a character in Uldah or Gridania and run all the way to Mor Dhona if you want to. The ability to get lost on side quests and immerse yourself into the world because it was more connected prior to earning it through beating the main story. Sorry my brain runs faster than I can write my thoughts sometimes but I hope that makes sense.