this is what people want. how do you do it?
make optional content in no way needed to progress, but right now almost everything has to be finished to do the newer content. that way you can please the hardcore & casuals. you can put it all together like it is now. thats when Yohsi P can really say he'll only think 20 people might beat the content before the next patch, there will be no reason for him to ever have to nerf the optional content.

Example: FFXI you had burning circle fight & HNM's in no way did you need to do them but people did them for gear, money, fun. burning circles required beastmen seals for an orb to enter the fight and HNM's required time.

SE could add optional fights or dungeons that are crazy hard for the people who want to be challenged and leave normal story driven stuff accessible to everyone.

Atma farming i just call lazy excuse for content, relic reborn was a better quest but also lazy.
Coil is better group content but each zone is so short and not as hard as people make it out to be.


open world is a whole other story but there already post here about that.