The world is not nearly as schizophrenic as you seem to be suggesting. Most of people's issues with America have been enduring for a long time, and that doesn't change with the president.
I also recognize that effectively nothing actually changed from roaming a world map
There isn't much, but there are actually a couple of hidden locations related to important sidequests, like the zodiac weapons. I think there might also be something there related to the post-game content in the International version, but I'm not certain.
I'll actually copy a comment I saw recently by someone else who knows more about Final Fantasy than I do. Apparently it's much older than that.
Though historically the ATB system was invented for FF4 and used by all games until FFX itself before being used again for X-2, though I think most of them had the option of "active or wait" like Chrono Trigger to pick from. I haven't played most of those FFs to say for certain. Not that it makes it better, but it technically was the return to form and earlier games just had less you cared to watch happen.
One of the best manga there is, One Punch Man, started as a webcomic with art that probably any random person could draw.
Their problem is that this event broadcast things which totally contradict the narrative they're trying to build about what's happening in the world.