I see a lot of posts asking for easier endgame content or complaining that certain fights are too difficult. As someone who spends most of their time playing casually, I think we're missing something important - we already have casual-friendly content. It's called the entire leveling experience, story mode trials, dungeons, and side quests. These teach you your job, let you enjoy the story/worldbuilding, and provide accessible group content.

When I do reach endgame and want to engage with that content, I expect it to challenge me. That's what makes it rewarding. If everything at endgame becomes accessible to the most casual approach, then what's the point of progression at all?

I think the so-called "mid-core" players who want casual content at endgame may be lower in number than it seems. I suspect more players follow irregular cycles like mine - casual most of the time, then occasionally hardcore - and I wouldn't be surprised if SE has the numbers on this. These mid-core voices are probably overrepresented on these forums, while others are underrepresented because they're either busy doing the more "hardcore" content or taking a break from the game, avoiding the huge time sink that is forum discussions.

Some people may misunderstand what "accessibility" means in MMO design. It doesn't mean making all content equally easy - it means having content that matches different time investments and commitment levels. The leveling experience and normal content already serve casual players well. Endgame should remain challenging for those who seek it out, even if that means mid-core players sometimes need to either step up or step back.

If SE embraced this mentality more - keeping endgame genuinely challenging rather than making concessions for broader accessibility - the game would probably feel much less stale. Again, having something truly difficult to work toward gives the entire progression system meaning, even for those who may never actually reach that level.

That's just my perspective as someone who appreciates both sides of the game.