While I know it may seem like I am against having difficult content in the game, I really am not. Having things like Garuda in the game that most people find challenging is a good thing, just not my thing. But it should be endgame, i.e. it should not be a requirement for additional content except perhaps an even harder version of the same fight.

Having random roadblocks for players who perhaps are not as good as you would like is a good way to drive players away. By the way, by random here I don't mean RNG, I mean why would you have to prove yourself at one particular point to level up instead of at every level for every class.

A fight like this could be optional and I would have no problem with it but for those who want it to be compulsory it seems like they want it at least partly to weed out the people who don't meet their arbitrary definition of being a skilled player and that I will always oppose, both on principle and for the good of the game.