http://s729.photobucket.com/user/lleoc/media/EQ000099.jpg.html
It's almost like i did that shit 5 years ago when nobody had over 10 tomes. It's easier to do content with fewer people, there's no 2 ways about it. Having to teach 6 people something is easier than having to rely on 18 people to show up, be good that night and kill a monster. MT is a poor example since a bard completely busts the fight, especially since ikkisith and runic 1. I did murkwater again recently with an incredibly undergeared/xp'd/charmed crew. It wasn't hard because an enchanter breaks that fight.
Getting 18 people to show up to push progress has been the hardest part of progressing for my umpteenth time through the game. When we finally get 18 people it's just waiting on the people who you wouldn't take to beat 6 man content for the first time to get their shit right so the monster actually dies. How many guilds have killed 4.3? Easily the hardest strat fight 6 man currently killed to my knowledge. Then how many guilds have killed Sharnree?
Anyway, it's pretty pointless to try to convince people about balance when they went through the game using ringers only to turn around and bring up others use them and have no concept of balance. The boots off of murkwater are incredibly good for the difficulty of obtaining them. You wear them for nearly 2 tiers worth of content over other options that drop off less accessible/more difficult things.