I know I'm probably going to get a lot of hate for this, but here it goes anyway...
First of all, as someone who left the game at the later end of 4.0 and returned just 2 weeks before 4.4 and had to catch up all that way I have to say that the solo duties are my least favorite content in the entire game. However, I can tolerate these because they're things that are happening to *my* character and obstacles that *I* have to overcome.
Then I get to patch 4.3 and I'm put into a solo duty... on Alphinaud... then at the end of 4.4 we're forced to play Y'shtola in a back to back duty (fail one and you get to repeat both!) and I can totally see them forcing us to play Thancred sometime during 4.5 where we're fighting that lion thing in the trailer. I have to say I'm not really excited about these duties-- I don't want to be forced to play a job I don't necessarily want to play and doubly so when I am forced to play that job on a *character* that I don't necessarily want to play.
From a RP standpoint, as the WOL I would really like to know that my companions have the ability to handle themselves in situations like this. I don't want to feel that I have to do everything for them and this really flushes that image down the toilet. And from a player standpoint-- if I wanted to make another character or play another job (I mean, I leveled all my jobs to 70) I would be playing that job or character of my own creation and not one given to me.
Don't get me wrong though. I can totally see how people might enjoy this content, but why can it not be optional content unlocked through the main story and put on... say the wandering minstrel or a similar NPC? I just really dislike the idea of being forced to play a job/character that I am not interested in playing. And I will admit that yes, being forced to do another solo duty on a character that I don't want to play on a job that I don't want to play does make me especially hostile to this content. I just don't really feel its appropriate to force something like this on a player for storytelling purposes in an MMO or any RPG where the player creates a character for his/herself.
Sorry for the rather lengthy rant. And NO! NO TLDR for J00! If I'm forced to do this content, you can be forced to read the post! (j/k).