Quote Originally Posted by TheMightyMollusk View Post
As someone who cleared Shinryu, Hades, and Endsinger in less than a week from launch, when everyone was still wearing their artifact gear and leveling accessories, they were never brick walls. They required paying attention, but they were never really a stopping point.
I'm gonna disagree here in Shinryu and it was because of gear. They locked the tome gear behind completing it. It definitely was a brick wall and it was only when those of us who cleared early were able to start getting our tome gear that it evened out. Still needed to pay attention but the runs weren't the wipefests they were before we had that gear. I intentionally ran that fight constantly as a healer to help people because it was such a PITA.

And they adjusted their design the next two expansions so we get better gear before the final fights. Hades and Endsinger weren't nearly the roadblocks Shinryu was. I really like what they did with Endwalker where the gear grows with you.

Doge mentioned capping ilevel to the patch it dropped. That may be a good compromise. Or maybe just a bit higher in case there is something else like Shinryu where that boost in ilevel is helpful but still maintains challenge.

I also agree with Joyoya that some of the issue may be with SE and their pacing and not assuring the fight can't be finished before things like the Scion dialogue finishes.