Is there any chance Blizzard will allow us to just click on an npc, accept the quest and allow us to make our way freely to the destination with the NPC waiting for us there?
I’ve lost count at the amount of times I had to wait for an NPC to reach their destination whilst both walking like a snail and talking smack at the same time.
There are many flaws with this game, but this just isn’t one, homie.
I dunno bro. I cbf waiting for some random npc to make its way from one end of the game to the other. Rather just zoom there myself and get on with the business at hand.
Or at least let us /follow NPCs.
I still remember that horrible quest in Shattrath that takes 8+ minutes and instantly fails if you get too far from the NPC.
And he had the nerve to start the quest by saying:
“Follow me, stranger. This shouldn’t take long.”
give us a cattle prod.
I posted about this a few weeks ago, wondering if it was some technical reason behind it. They walk faster than you can walk but slower than you can run. Not a major problem but so frustrating.
I was always amused with escort quests from way back, when the narrative is “hurry we have to get out of here” and the NPC takes a leisurely stroll out of the area. Making sure to aggro everything first.
They either walk too slow or too quick for us to even rp walk with them.
Reminds me of skyrim mods that change the walking / running speed to be equal among the player and the npcs. Just to avoid this issue
While doing some escort quests in Classic, some friends and I found out that running backwards is almost an exact match for the NPC’s walking speed.
cause we absolutely needed to be shown around, slowly. The first time I did it, I remember thinking can this thing move any freaking slower. I have new stuff to do!
Npcs don’t walk like snails, instead players are just in a full on run 100% of the time.
And they ended up parodying this in WoD when they had Khadgar’s elemental giving slow motion tours of your garrison to a few unlucky npc’s.
put yourself in rp walk mode.
they walk slower than that.
…and stop every few seconds along the way.
and if you get a little too far away, they get scared and stop until you return to their side.
i was just about losing the plot trying to get a couple of mog pieces from Ghostlands a couple of weeks ago.
derpy lady got herself stuck in a troll mausoleum and wanted to “see the sights” on the way out instead of just get rescued and run.
it’s like watching a zombie movie where you just want the people to RUN before their brains get eaten, but they need to stop for snacks and a quick nap and then wonder why they’re dead (for a few minutes, until they become zombies too)
Tyrande in Val’sharah while looking for Malfurion. She keeps expressing urgency, yet takes a slow leisurely stroll on her mount.
Can’t help but thinking ‘you do know he’s being tortured right?’
Then she sees blood and feathers yet still keeps the slow pace.
At this point I’m thinking she’s got a life insurance policy on him and debating if she wants the payout more.
BfA had escort quests where you set the pace, I remember Stormsong Valley in particular.
Really simple answer: so that you can catch up if you stopped for any reason.
Or at least make them run speed and not somewhere in between walk and run. Getting tired of the Maw NPCs resetting because I got too far ahead.
The speed between walk and run has been a thing for a long time. Sorry someone has a different complaint than you? 
Often times the Npc is talking to you if you take time to read the chat box. When you ride with Tyrande in the lost isles she tells you of her loss and love for Malfurin. The NPC that escorts you through Shattrath is telling you the history of city if you pay attention.
Do you run and talk at the same time? I’ll bet not.
Remember this is an MMORPG, the RPG is still a big part of the game like or not.
How else can they min max their slowing of you. 
Ghost of Tsushima NPCs matching their pace to yours was one of that game’s best features.
The thrall escort in caverns of time is the best
Thrall and his poor 60% run speed horse that seems to run even more slowly than that, and then the random dismounts to go smack a bear