(Relics) What is the lowest-development-cost content we'd still find fun?

[Shurrikhan]

So, let's say you're a content manager for XIV and have a small amount of development time you can spend to make time-intensive content. This time-intensive content is expected and, though often criticized if overly "grindy", is generally lauded as a well-liked component of the game and an iconic part of its life-cycle. This can be related to Relics, specifically, or anything similar.

Note: If you develop something for the longer term, you can draw in slightly more development time, but have to deal with player concerns over delays. Excuse these delays as you will.

How would you try to create the most development-cost-efficient content you can for the above purpose? What content would you reuse? How would you link these pieces of reused content? How would you stimulate player interest and participation through the means, rather than merely the rewards, of participation?

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Alternatively, from the player perspective alone, what content would you find fun in Relic grinds? Where does the border between "satisfying" and "overly grindy" lie? What can the devs learn from prior iterations of Relic grinds? What novel approaches might they take? To what extent would you forgive delays for greater efficiency or enjoyability in such content later?

Have at it.


Common opinions/findings thus far... (Hidden as not to unavoidably bias any initial posts)

1. Only the best of Eureka, or better than previous iterations, if at all.
2. Upscaled, rather than level-synced, content would rejuvenate huge amounts of currently wasted resource to potentially tremendous development-efficiency.
3. We should have multiple paths for progressing Relics and similar tasks.
4. Finely difficulty-scaling combat can be fun for a wide range of players and can help to compact a lot of combat fun into relatively little grind while still taking longer due to difficulty.
5. Let's make use of presently lackluster systems, e.g. Treasure Maps!