I think this change is going to be a big help.

Sure, its not ideal to bring just 1 or 2 people with the clear, but the penalty for bringing 4 is much lighter than I expected. The 4 without the clear would still get 1 drop between them, meaning that each person has no less chance of getting loot than 8 people would've with 2 boxes.

And besides, even 1 experienced person can be a massive help to a group that's still learning a fight. They may get less loot if they win that week, but once the group has learnt what to do, they should be able to get full loot next time!