I agree with you Pezz. I feel let down by this expansion as well. So frustrated with the starting zone that I just went back to original content levelling another toon.
The thing that REALLY disappointed me was the Elite Specialization Classes. I despise that I have to give up a whole track in my current build in order to add the new Elite track. This hurt my build soooo much and anyway I tried it, I just couldn’t build around it in a way that complimented the playstyle I have developed for myself. And the tradeoff? A set with nothing but healing abilities (Ranger-Druid). Sounds good on paper, but in practice it just hurt my solo ability too much to be worth it.
I suggest either a 4th track slot, or make it easier to switch your build loadout so that you can switch back and forth as need arises.