Well, you can certainly FDM print layers below one tenth of a millimetre tall even with a 0.2mm nozzle, and stagger horizontal edges the same. The problem is the time cost of doing so with a large object. Even variable layer height burns through a lot of time. There is some work being done with variable layer heights on outer perimeters only so we may get some significant improvements in the future.

I just wish people would, as you are saying, work with and accept the inherent qualities of the medium rather than doing insane, foolish stuff like using carbon-fibre-filled filaments for surface finish.