I don't know about you guys but I miss those days. This is not just a Blizzard thing too, it seems lots of MMOs suffer from this. Smaller areas with more, compacted content. However, I think this takes away from the "world" feel. Think about the Barrens, think about how wide open that area is, and you won't bump into a mob every 10 feet..
Mulgore, although not the best example, has huge, rolling plains:
Tanaris, massive desert.
Westfall, open plains
And now, we have this:
Cramped zones with rocks and mountains placed perfectly to force you to go around them:
Sharp rocks and mountains, with little or no view
And now in Argus, more of the same:
Does anyone else crave lush, flat fields with a massive view distance like I do? Because I dont know about you but the landscape design in Legion drove me nuts. Some mountains felt like puzzles..