I kinda agree, but then I kinda disagree too.

I think you start to lose a part of the player for sure. many people play BECAUSE its easy. but I think you also start to push people into dps because right now, the community practically forces you to sprint through everything. so you start adding difficulty, then you will have tanks not wanting the pressure, and healers not wanting it either. not saying -everyone- but I would guess a fair number of current players who now, play everything because its lower effort. would either run dps or quit.

so its a pretty fine line to walk. would I like more difficulty, sure. do I assume that everyone who plays FFxiv is like me, no, I do not, at all. raise the difficulty too much and suddenly people will be complaining about carrying people. so, its kind of a two edged sword