So...why are level 50 players doing level 5 fates?

[Keydah]

There are a few reasons for level 50's to be doing low level FATEs, the most common of which is relic weapons - upgradable level 50 weapons that range from item level 80 to 130 depending on the stage you're at. This is no excuse for blindly zerging the FATE when there's someone else there, though. If I'm doing FATEs, even when leveling, I only do what I need to do to get gold and then I leave it for the other people unless no one else is around.

Two stages of the relic weapon require you to do FATEs (Well, one doesn't REQUIRE it but). It doesn't matter what level FATE for either of them - a level 1 FATE has the same (small) probability of dropping it as a level 50 FATE, and the lower level FATEs go by faster and are far easier, so people do those. Why would you farm level 50 FATEs that take 5 minutes each when you could do 10 low level FATEs in that time? Neither is enjoyable.

The atma stage requires that you get "atma" from FATEs on 12 of the maps. The ONLY place to get these is in FATEs on their respective map.
The novus stage requires that you get alexandrite, which is used for a couple stages after the atma stage. You can get alexandrite elsewhere, but basically all of it is just a grind. Well...the entire relic weapon is a grind.

When atma first released, there were at least 50+ level 50 players doing the same fate at once. It was a giant mess, and impossible for anyone, leveling or not, to get a high rating. Basically...if there's an easier way to do it, people will find it. Some people just don't care that you exist, and just want to get what they're doing done.

Try and party up with the people doing the FATEs if you're comfortable with it. That way you both get what you want. They get their atma/alex and you get your experience.