I know this is not something themepark MMOs really do; but FFXIV relies so heavily on teleports, it rarely incentivizes exploring zones after visiting them once for the main storyline. In turn, this gives devs no reason to put interesting points of interest.
I know GW2, ESO and FFXI do a better job. It just seems like such a wasted opportunity when it comes to deliver a better immersive experience.
100% agree. We’ve gone back and forth between dimensions and worlds, fought the strongest gods conceivable, yet the starting world itself feels mummified. I know solutions can’t be easy (as suggested by @Kronusdark on another comment) but imagine how immersive it’d actually feel.