So I started playing FFXI again after a 7 month hiatus (since FFXIV CE launch) and one of the many changes I noticed was how they had changed the Fields of Valor system and it made me think that this is how Guildleves should work.
For those that don't know the Fields Of Valor is a system that allows you to take up challenges to kill certain targets and once completed you get a reward and a lump sum of EXP at the end. There are things called Field Manuals dotted around every zone which you can go up to and select a Page (mission) which will give you some target mobs to kill and the ideal level you should be to complete it. When you complete the page you are rewarded with EXP, Gill and Tabs. So for example I can go to the Field Manual and select Page One and it will say kill:
3 Mist Lizards
3 Huge Wasps
So off I go to kill these target mobs out in the zone killing other mobs on my travels while I seek them out (they usually aren't to far from the Field Manual). The target mobs will give normal EXP while I am killing them but once I have completed the Page I am awarded a lump sum of EXP too like 500 EXP and some Gill and Tabs.
Now it used to be the case that you could only do one page per game day (an hour) but since I have been gone they have changed that and you can now do as many as you want. However to stop people abusing it for Gill and Tabs they still keep the one game day limit on those rewards but the lump sum of EXP is not effected. So you could do 6 Pages in an hour if you wish but you will only get the Gill and Tabs reward the first time you do it until a new game day rolls over.
It is a great system for Solo and for Parties. When in a grind party you pick a Page that has the target mobs that you wish to grind on and off you go.
I think something like this would be great for FFXIV. So you could have mini Guildleves that you could collect at a camp/crystal at any time and then head out solo or with a party and do them. The mobs would give their normal SP but once you have completed the challenge you would then get your lump sum of SP. So say for example one of the Boulder Downs crystals mini Leve could be kill:
10 Raptors
5 Goblins
You go out and do that and as well as getting the normal SP you get a lump sum of 2,000 SP as well.
They could then use the Guildleve's you get from the Guildleve counter for exciting missions and things like that. If they add a lot more NM's and stuff like that then maybe they could involve hunting them down stuff like that.
It's not a perfect idea I know but i think it has some solid grounds to build upon.