but that's not what I'm going for, I want the player moving through time and space, not warp there, and I guess that is not for everyoneThe thing is, the two are not mutually exclusive. You could allow a top down map or a text based quicknav to coexist with hundreds of empty rooms in between. I have actually seen games do that.
The most important thing is to have fun. Needing 14 clicks to go from bedroom to school, and then 14 clicks to go back, every single day in game... this is not fun.
I would rather spend my time creating content to make the 14 clicks more enjoyable, then change the game mechanics for those that want a simpler experience
sorry if the game is no fun for you