Variance in player skill is hurting FFXIV's itemization design.

[Yukiko]

Somehow it feels like they design gear before content and then we have content where you need said gear...
There is no option to come back later better equipped because you are against a wall and cant get better gear without beating the content...
Waiting 6 months (maybe paying) to get said gear because new ilvl cap and "free" gear is not something that keeps players interested...

They need some sort of progress within the 6 months waiting and not just 6 month farming to get a weapon at end of the 6 months. /facepalm

Currently we only have vertical progress, while savage groups are waiting 3 Months, catch up content can be done, while catch up waits 3 months, savage content can be done...
If catch up content will be released at same time as savage content we have a little horizontal progress and players can choose how they will progress...
To solve the waiting problem, they need some small progress like upgrading armor with pieces bit by bit getting stronger each week... most MMOGs doing that with gems (lets call it materia)...

What currently went wrong is we will get 3 months of farming and at end a finished set of gear.
We should have at beginning a given Set of gear and within the 3 months we can power up said gear.
With the set of gear it should be possible to beat the content but for weaker players the option to power up.
The faster you can beat the content, the stronger your skills are... no walls and everyone can progress...
You can beat it the first day, why powering up? Because preparing for what will come next... or to have a challenge with lesser players!