FFXI was a very unique game as it went on when it came to solo content. The 70 Maat fight was the bane of many peoples existence. Be it because of the fight itself or the need to farm for the testimonials. Then there were things like the mini-trials for SMN. Honestly, these solo content stuffs really showcased how good you were at the game, and not just as the one job. Gear, for the most part, did not make or break you in the sense that you needed the best to beat it. They always helped at least a little, but it still fell upon your own ingenuity and skill to react. No one that has passed a SMN mini-trial can deny how it teaches you about emnity (threat management), position and timing, etc. Likewise, for most jobs, the Maat fight taught you how to properly handle your jobs core abilities. Be it that Maat himself played it to a point that would destroy you or that you had to use core skills/spells to beat him before he (again) destroys you.