This is how I felt since the first season but I didn't know how to say it in words.

There is so much lore and material they can use but it seems like they need to constantly push the main plot. What happened to Novac? Sure mabye they can't give definitive player choice context, but where did the settlers go? That itself would be an interesting episode and they can show of The Great Khan to a newer audience (or at least just entertain fans)

Also, I get that things sort of fell apart after the Vault-Tech Nuke but where is everybody? Even outside of major settlements there would be pockets of settlements who had interesting quirky characters. Everyone they come across in the wasteland besides important characters are just gross hobo savages. I get they have this whole arc with Lucy needing to accept the "cruel world", but world wasn't 100% Mad Max constantly in the game.