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

[Brian_]

And if you consider those to be a good break for Savage, wouldn't conversely dungeons be a good break from EX trials or normal raids for a less skilled person in the exact same manner? Perhaps the hunt zerg even be a good break from dungeons for even less skilled people? Would not all group content ultimately have the same effect to varying degrees?

It's about variety and flexibility in content. Raid content can easily scale from entry-level raiding to hard-core raiding. As such, it has a much wider coverage and that's why I disagree with the notion it is niche and why I originally said it has the widest appeal. And, more importantly, it can build a bridge of progression that helps convert a casual into a core player. That doesn't exist with hunts. That doesn't exist in Diadem. It doesn't exist in dungeons because SE has said that with dungeons, their hands are tied in terms of design and difficulty.

Someone can get their feet wet in an EX-trial or Mhach and develop an appetite for more. I don't think hunts or Diadem lead anywhere progressive. Again, this goes back to my point about content breeding longevity. When the content I listed hits their mark, it hooks people.

Also, while we've seen SE have their moments with dungeon narratives, I think their dungeon narratives pale in comparison to their raid efforts. Coil, Crystal Tower, the Mhach series so far, and even Alexander all tell better stories and have larger experiences than just a dungeon. You just can't achieve the same scope with dungeon content -- even if it is sequential like the NM/HM dungeons.