[FaeLenx]

All this does is heightens the bar required to quickly clear content, thus making it more difficult for casual people to reach content.

At the highest level, the fastest grind is 4 people all with good builds. Mercenaries are turned off for that as they just take slow turns when you could have 4 rounds of quaking steps on a back attacked/boar bear trapped enemy group.

This is just... incorrect.

The fastest, most efficient grind setups don't use mercs at all, like you said, but are done ALONE. Things tend to go more quickly when only ONE person has to take their turn; especially with grinder builds.

Casual players can reach content perfectly fine with the proposed mercs, they just won't be carried by them.

Also, casual players starting from zero don't have the ability to capture high-level mercenaries. If someone were to HELP them, they might, but players are still able to help them with the proposed changes.

Not true. With the way dancer currently is, if all players are active and attentive, 4 players is the fastest way to grind. The problem with actually partying is that only the party leader doesn't take 30 seconds to 2 minutes to take their turn on the first round of combat.

Which, really, is indicative that the real reason most people don't party up to grind is because it's ultimately a boring experience past your first run through. Most people in this community are on their 8th character and who knows which LE.

Wanting MORE grind time is just LESS RP time.