As has been stated over and over again:

Time sinks =/= Difficulty.

Waiting around for hours on end hoping to get the claim on something doesn't create the kind of atmosphere this game needs. It creates drama and animosity toward other players. It encourages bot claiming. It does not foster a community with a sense of teamwork.

With how NMs are in the game currently, multiple Linkshells can work together to help each other get what they need within a reasonable time frame. People don't mind teaming up for a kill or letting someone get the next one for kill credit or a quest (in the case of the low NMs).

The game has been and is continuing to be designed in such a way that people who don't live in the game 24/7 can actually complete a vast majority, if not all, of the content in the game. I'm by no means a hardcore player due to school and work but I've toppled almost all the combat content we currently have outside of Ifrit Hard mode and two stronghold NMs.