More Horizontal Progression please

[Ibi]

The challenge is the fact that pulling tons of monsters has a threat and fear to it.

I feel like if you're at the point where you're able to "destroy" a "ton of monsters", they're probably no longer a the point where they're a threat to you. I will concede that FATEs (when handled by a group of players) aren't dangerous.

Horizontal Progression can have a power curve. There are just many different power curves, not just one.

I'd say if you have a bigger power curve than you'd have with FFXIV's vertical gear progression, that sounds like it's not horizontal gear progression, but I'm not going to argue terminology again beyond that thought.