Do you know what items drop in Turns 2, 3 and 4 in the Second Coil of Bahamut? I don't take you as a dumb person so I know you're aware of it. Which begs the question; why are you giving gear away for people doing easy versions of what is supposed to be the hardest content?

Story mode is the best suggestion. Making it so people can see the story without having to deal with punishing mechanics that stop them from getting that experience. Although, it doesn't really matter because Echo will only be applied to already outdated content, and that's what the purpose was.