The problem is the rest of the game doesn’t prepare people for Savage, even though Extreme is supposed to be the stepping stone, these themselves have become even easier in Shadowbringers. Memoria ex was so easy it could be learned and on farm in a few hours. Back when tsyuki ex was released it took longer because imo it was a harder fight.

If the game doesn’t challenge at all for normal content, it just increases the gulf to savage.

IMO this tier has been my toughest experience in pf since the fights require more group coordination and focus. E5s for example is extremely punishing to mistakes and can become a mess very quickly. E6s a little less so, but one death can often lead to enrage. Also many groups that come together don’t have enough dps even now this late into the cycle to beat enrage, which is really weird.

I’m not sure E5s should have been the first fight, possibly that should have been e7s.

I’ve heard e8s is really inconsistent in pf and friends have told me it’s often taken them a week on occasions to clear a normal weekly run.