Then why is it called
a Variant?
b Criterion?
C Savage Criterion?
If the the middle one b is also Savage difficulty?
Criterion and criterion savage have identical mechanics. Things just have more health, do more damage, there are no checkpoints and you can't raise in savage.
The format and structure of the difficulty options aren't the same as anything else in the game, so neither is the naming.
Literally nobody asked for Variant to have 2 savage versions. That was a stupid decision from the devs, nothing more nothing less.
Variant is far too easy and going to Criterion is a big leap.
Well, we are getting more Variants and Criterions (at least I remember that being announced), so Square most likely hasn't given up on the concept yet. They are sadly just very slow to react to feedback (considering that the players asking for proper gear rewards was kinda answered with the weapon upgrade in Aloalo, the third instance). The iteration we get in DT could be even better, once it releases and if CS3 manages to evolve the general concept. Definitely looking forward to that one.
Just my very small two cents on the system; less the difficulty and more the stupid corner of a naming system the devs seem desperate to paint themselves into.
Like, "Let's play XX Hard" -> Is not actually Hard, it's just normal.
Ok, so Extreme is the hardest? No that's Savage? Why is "wild/brutal/uncontrolled" more difficult than "Very high or the highest; furthest from the center".
or "Let's play Variant dungeon!" Oh so that has random variations? Ah, no, that's "Deep Dungeon"?
What happens when they want some new difficulty? Savage Extreme? Ultimate Extreme? Ultimate Savage Extreme?
Why not just "Your Dungeon Here" plus Stars to designate. Or just a more generic category like "special raids" with things like TEA listed under, with what the actual content is in the content blurb instead of the story nonsense.
Weird names for the sake of weird names are just... meh.
FFXI had the same problems.
For example, in FFXI can you guess what "Monstrosity" is? If you thought it was pokemon style monster battles, no, that's called "Pankration". Monstrosity is where you are a monster and fight monsters. Unless it's against other players, in which case it's now called "Belligerency"
Oh, how about "Ballista"? If you guessed a PVP battle where you throw rocks at a basket, you'd be right. No there are no ballistas in Ballista you silly goose.