Can someone explain to me why it's bad to have the ability to overgear content? Every other MMO I have ever played rewards players with the ability to smash through old content that once punished, frustrated, or terrified them once they have gained a significant level gap and/or gear. Now, while I say gained I could easily have said earned. Players aren't asking for something to be handed to them on a plate here but if they have overgeared content but may still struggle with a particular encounter or external issues such as latency then that gear advantage should pick up the slack.

The only reason it's a problem with this game is that there is such a pitiful amount of content that the developers feel they have to implement level-capping and insta-kill mechanics in an effort to keep the content relevant.

The first was a nice idea back in FFXI to allow players to group with their lower level friends but soon became a lazy way for developers to design "new" content. It's particularly disrespectful to the players in so much as not only does it disregard their gear achievements it actually reverts their character's hard-earned advancement by handicapping their class's abilities.

The second, as has been discussed to death in this thread, invalidates gear levels and Echo buffs because regardless of your Health or iLevel you're still getting insta-gibbed on boss fights unless you memorise the fight and perform like a puppet.