I agree that new players haven't had the time to develop the skill. I bumped into my worst nightmare in a garuda ex pug last night..

No names :

Me - "Right, your having a lot of difficulty here what's up"
Person - "Not much, just haven't played this game long"
Me - "Oh alright, but you've grinded like crazy i'll bet!"
Person - "Nope, bought the game this week, hit level 50 and did hunts for a couple hours. Ilvl 90 now!"
Me - "-facepalm-"

Welcome to the new generation of player, where everything is handed to you, you don't need to work much for that shiny stuff. I see the extremes as a skill gate now more than anything. If a player can get through them, AFTER gearing up quickly like this, THAT's the person I want to run stuff with. Develop the skill, don't make the fights easier.