Part of the appeal of an MMO is going afk in a city or camp while you wait for something.

Maybe I want to read while I wait on the duty finder. Maybe I want to put some laundry in because I know my friend will be on in 40 minutes.
I can sit on a bench or at the bar making the game more immersive for people passing by.

Cities and areas altogether will seem more empty. As soon as the servers are reliable and no one has issues getting online; I really hope this becomes optional.