Pagos just feels like all they cared about was slowing the players down in order to prolong the content. They didn't care about making it fun or interesting, just time consuming. The players found a way to make Anemos as enjoyable as possible, while being social, so they took it away in order to grind away at HP sponges. And your group is in direct competition with others for the small amount of mobs you can actually tackle for the challenge log, so any chatting may mean you don't get as much credit. Ugh.
Everything I hated about low level Anemos seems to be the core of Pagos. I miss the fun and goofiness of the people on the train.