As we all know, the optimum setup for an apex party is 1-2 tank/melee 2-4 BLM/SCH and a GEO. It's disgusting, but it's the winning solution.
Two handers are left in the cold, bards are left in the cold. Healing WHM, SCH, RDM generally are left in the cold. A GEO can keep everyone alive as well as any healer if the tank is worth anything.
Edit: Two handers currently gearing up are left in the cold because they're shorted the accuracy bonus that can be aquired from an offhand weapon/augments to said weapon. Grips, even accuracy grips, do not compare.
I hate turning people away when I don't think their acc is sufficient but as the party leader, the success of the group is on my name. If I put together terrible groups, neither the low-acc melee or I will be getting any more parties.
At 75, the situation was reverse. Noone wanted BLM because the target of choice, Greater Colibri, reflected magic damage, but BLM had alternatives and because merit points could be earned on any job, for any job, you didn't have to worry. Also back then, /37 wasn't high enough to let subjobs cast haste.
Suggestion: Apex Colibri. Give them the full skillset they had, and lower their evasion because melee cant eat food. Give them low enough hp that a a three step skillchain from fairly geared melee will kill them, or make them reward more CP.
The ideal setup for this party would be Healer, Bard/Cor/GEO *, Tank/Melee, Melee, Melee/COR
Ranger is included as melee for simplicity's sake.
I haven't once had a high-performing CP party with more than one two melee including the tank. Part of the reason for this is that most players TP so fast, there isn't much room for a third melee.
Suggestion 2: Make a mob that is especially vulnerable to skillchains but absorbs magic damage/magic bursting.
* I think if you design mobs that malaise/languor/acumen/focus (I know people like haste/regain, but all three buffers can help) isn't the best option against, people will start using the other buffers again. If you design mobs that magic bursting isn't far and away the best option, people will start inviting melee.
I've had slow days where I couldn't get a party going and people start laying out a four or 5 step skillchain and my immediate thought is: I'm not working significantly harder for significantly less experience points. One person misses an SC or mistimes, and it's just a mess.
There may be people that read this thread and consider me to be too elitist, but that's really not the case. I'm tired of watching people struggle for enough accuracy only to compete for 1-2 spots in a party.
Edit: Oh and, please make more than one good camp. That's the bottle-neck with crabs. There's one good camp.
On the other hand, if you make them non-aggressive, a bard-party can move around. If there's one weakness geo has, and I'm not complaining, it's a lack of mobility.