FATE is actually destroying the challenge in open world along with the removal of claim mob system that was in place in 1.0.
One might say, "Well.. we don't want to play XI all over again." My response to that would be: It has nothing to do with XI.

What is FATE to me?
Cheap experience points earned superfast for little effort.
Non strategic fights.
Chaos/Unorganized.
Pink icons + enough people= AOE party for 30 seconds to 1min= Gold medal and a whole lot of exp.

The old NM system would be a million times better than these utterly boring events.