IMHO, what people are currently missing from the Hunt because of the overabundance of zerg-style hordes is a feeling of accomplishment before anything else.

Overcoming A and S ranks should require a reasonable combination of wit, careful observation, patient learning and cooperation, giving players a chance to grow into their own and enjoy the outcome; while felling them down by means of sheer overwhelming pressure feels empty and dull.

Emphasis on "reasonable". To me, rewards should always be tools to do things with, instruments that disclose new possibilities, before being status symbols. We should allow our actions to speak for us (which always entails looking at other players as more than just their stats or achievements).

I don't feel cheated because people are getting i90 stuff in other ways. It's their prerogative to prioritize what they like and commit to, and I'm fine with a different approach, as long as all opportunities are treated fairly, without taking away from other parts of the game (dungeoneering, quests, Frontline missions, the works) and erecting barriers within the community.

This is the point to me, and the solutions (regulated hunting permits, daily/weekly caps, instancing and adjustments to the Marks themselves) should be a means to that end.