3.x series needs a variety of endgame content.

[Nalien]

There's no way they will be able to produce non-grindy content if they try to fit themselves into a 3 month window

IMO, grindy isn't the problem. The problem is the quality and variety of the grind available... There's potential for them to make something like the tomestone grind more varied, but instead we're stuck (unless you enjoy PvP) with two dungeons and a raid. There isn't enough there, and what little there is is quickly spoiled by the sheer linearity of the content...

Remove that 18h limit on Treasure Maps, and make them a viable alternative to farming Law/Esoterics, and we've got a new avenue to explore. Rework Hunts to be force popped, so you can pop and kill your B Rank, then obtain an item to pop a A Rank, then an S Rank, etc., and you have another.

I haven't touched Fractal or Neverreap a whole lot since Seal Rock was released. As a result, the last time I did them they were rather refreshing, and I actually wanted to do them again. Having Hunts as properly structured event, that people can pursue as an alternative to dungeon grinding, would do wonders for this game...

I think the other problem that dungeons specifically suffer from, is a lack of a secondary purpose... You know how I'm able to grind Seal Rock back to back? I mean, besides the dynamic nature of the matches make it far more varied than dungeons? PvP Standing. I'm not just in Seal Rock for Esoterics, I'm their for the PvP. That makes it far more rewarding than something like dungeons. The only other thing dungeons offer outside the tomestones, is the odd glamour piece, which more often is either Grand Company Seal fodder, or Desynthesis material. Simply put, dungeons don't have that secondary purpose present in any meaningful way. As a result, they're simply not well made for grinding, yet they're what SE expects more of its players to grind, sadly... That's another reason I'd like to see Hunts transformed into an actual structured event, Hunts have (or can have) that secondary purpose; You wouldn't just be popping S Ranks in order to get your tomestones, you'd be doing it for the Hunt specific rewards.

You know how I'd change dungeons? Take out the linear nature of them and add a secondary objective in them, centered around exploring, perhaps a bit of puzzle solving (and platforming? This game is awful for that though...). Gathering classes can obtain maps out on the field, why not let combat classes obtain them in dungeons? Now you're not just going through a dungeon to beat the boss and get you're rewards, you're looking around for secrets to obtain maps for additional reward. Maps obviously already have their own rewards, and they're very grindy to obtain, but stacking content up like this works very well to mask the grind. You're dungeon grind is no longer solely for tomestones, it also rewards you with additional Treasure Maps, which both speed up your tomestone grind and offer their own reward. I'd actually prefer this to my Seal Rock grind, actually, because PvP is just Seal Rock back to back, with this it would be; Dungeon > Treasure Map > Dungeon > Treasure Map. That's not the most amazing amount of variety, but it's something.

One other thing they could do with this, which could add a lot of variety to dungeons, is make the Treasure Maps lead into a dungeon. Just another Hullbreak Isle run? Oh wait, this person has a Treasure Map here, and we all get additional rewards for doing it. Suddenly dungeons have a bit of spice to them. Heck, if Hunts were actually properly structured, then optional bosses in dungeons could actually be a thing, you could do a similar thing; Optional boss already in the dungeon gives the party a pop item for a Hunt in the open world, or open world Hunt target drops pop item for a dungeon optional Hunt boss. That would be much more entertaining than running through Neverreap the exact same time every single time until it's phased out, and when it's phased out it could perhaps remain relevant off such content tie-ins alone.