No more FFXI STYLE HNM please.... this is 'one' of the reason I left my own linkshell.
I made the linkshell for JP/NA combined when NA FFXI was released and goal of the linkshell was to have fun going on adventures and helping each other out at same time having both JP and NA players communicate in one linkshell while they learned each others languages.... from players like me who can speak/write both languages....
Anyways... Once HNM's came into play some guys wanted to be full on HNMLS which we did and it just became routine work and as time passed all the fun players who came on just to have fun talking, doing stupid fun stuff in game left and only those left were those that felt they had to stay and help or those hardcore 24/7 players who wanted to get the items and didn't care what time it was; they will be online and camp... with real life with work, family it's really hard to do...
One thing though I did like the concept of HNM roaming around the open world (although in FFXI it was pulled instantly on pop, pops up red name lol), maybe can do something about it like regular HNM roaming around will attack the players and stuff good to give it the live feeling, while to fight it like others are saying in here, make it not actual BCNM type instanced area but instanced open world like how the faction leve NM's work right now.
If it was me I would make it something like when the open world HNM is roaming around is the only time you can trade the pop item to get into the instanced area to fight it. The HNM has a specific time frame it pops/depops depending on environment or time/hour in game just like FFXI. Only difference is it's multi-instanced (more than one group can fight at same time) and even after kill if the HNM is still up in the open world anyone can still fight it.
Kind of like HNM is up now so if you want to do it lets go! and same time don't have to fight with other LS's/groups over pop, and make sure its multiple instanced so we don't have to wait for groups to finish before starting your own.
EDIT: fixed it up a bit...
EDIT2: added the part in red... HNM is ok, but not FFXI style HNM