Something I didnt really notice right away on other jobs, but did notice on GLA.

I recently did the GLA questline in 3.5 on an alt. But also on my main character back in 2.0

But for SB I recently did the GLA questline on another alt, and I noticed drastic differences between now, and HW, along with differences from now and 2.0

When doing these trials as GLA (didnt see this as often as some other classes like LNC)
the NPCs take WAAAAY too much dmg, and you as a player take much more dmg. (or at least the player takes roughly the same dmg as a 2.0 GLA)

In 2.0 I found the trials a bit odd, since tanking them would either get you killed, due to the mobs being higher level, and hitting too hard for the number there is,
or, the more frustrating variation is auto losing if you tank them, rather than letting the NPC tank them.

In 3.5 tanks did enough dmg to end the fights quickly, w/o seeing the duty fail.

Now in 4.0 I noticed NPCs were dropping like flies, and the duty would fail.
I can focus down the lower hp/defense mobs with lower levels 1st, Caster> ranged> dps > tank mobs, keeping FoF on CD as usual.
But if the NPCs decide to constantly change targets, rather than helping finish off an enemy, the duty can fail. (depending on which one we're talking about)

I tried to tank mobs, and pop rampart, which pretty much gets me insta killed.
(3 mages each hitting me for 300+ dmg, and 2 ARC hitting me, I saw Flash trigger the GCD, and the moment I was about to land an attack, im dead from full HP.)
I didnt even have the melee being tanked.

In each scenario I was in the gear from the MSQ dungeon prior to the fight.
(so I didnt have gear that scaled down, only geared for that level range)

Over gearing the fight, and syncing down makes them much easier, but still can have a fail if the NPCs do stupid stuff.

Comparing to 3.5, which was easy, and comparing to 2.0 which was challenging, I'd argue 4.0 GLA quests are a bit over tuned, as they rely on RNG or over gearing it.

Im going to assume these changes came from tuning mobs to hit tanks harder, and taking dmg away from VIT, together, made GLA quests harder, w/o effecting my LNC, ARC, and NIN quests.

(Friend of mine did claim his WHM quests were harder than he remembered, as the NPCs were dying far quicker than prior, but I didnt witness it.)