Why vertical progression is poorly implemented

[Starbirth]

Exactly! There are other and honestly better alternatives to relics, go do Savage Alex or Thordan EX.

The problem is these alternatives are less accessible than their 2.0 counterparts.

[Belhi]

The problem is these alternatives are less accessible than their 2.0 counterparts.

This is something they addressed though in the last live letter. Midas Savage will have its difficulty tuned down and its rewards tuned up.

[Dhex]

This is something they addressed though in the last live letter. Midas Savage will have its difficulty tuned down and its rewards tuned up.

This doesn't make their raiding structure any less tired or rigid than it has been since 2.0

Alexander Midas will be another set of instanced circular-arena fights exactly like BCoB, SCoB, FCoB, & Alexander Gordias were.

You will deal with another set of four scripted fights just like you did in your Darklight gear when the game relaunched.

Please look forward to it.

[Belhi]

This doesn't make their raiding structure any less tired or rigid than it has been since 2.0

Alexander Midas will be another set of instanced circular-arena fights exactly like BCoB, SCoB, FCoB, & Alexander Gordias were.

You will deal with another set of four scripted fights just like you did in your Darklight gear when the game relaunched.

Please look forward to it.

My comment was primarily addressing the accessibility of Endgame weapons outside the anima options, not the pros or cons of the raid structure itself.

I think the fight arenas could be more interesting but I don't have a fundamental problem with the model. I personally used to find it really annoying back in WoW, having to clear half a dozen bosses every weak that I had already downed so many times I could practically sleep through it and still clear just to get to the boss my group was trying to progress on.

I suspect turn 5 made them cagey about the nature of arenas since the strat for avoiding divebombs was probably not intended and makes the mechanic a lot easier to clear.