Also try setting Recommended Duty to pop up on your screen every time you zone and leaving it open (it's in config somewhere). I quested to 50 and still see a ton of sidequests I didn't clear pop up there in many many zones, plus it reminds you about hunting log entries, and shows nearby level appropriate FATEs, which, in the case of many of the less popular areas, don't have any of the problems you mentioned at the Svara FATE (sometimes the opposite, so few people the NM can't be killed in time, although there is still failure exp so not a total waste of time to join or try and solo if the clock is running low).