Don't mind the ignorant posts pertaining to the rate at which you guys level. To each his own.

I will say that the reason for what you're experiencing primarily stems from accomplished players not wanting to ever wipe again - when in reality they still do. Even if you go in perfect, Ifrit sometimes decides to be a douche and glitch his Eruptions

All of this is quite inconsequential at this time though, as we are on the eve of 1.20 which will usher in the class reforms. It's safe to assume everything will change then - although I'm sure the community will inevitably find an optimal setup to agree on once again. Hopefully the severity of it will not be as it is now.

The root of the problem now is precisely why these reforms are coming. Sure, LNC or MRD may still be better than all the DD after the patch, but at least they won't be 3-4x as effective as an ARC or a THM, which they are now.

Beyond all of this though, you've just got to find a static group of friends to play with other than yourselves. A solid LS can make/break this game for you. Personally, even now, I value the effort of a player to perform optimally with the tools they have at hand much more than how many classes they have at 50. What matters is the drive to better oneself.