Pre-75 Cap Nostalgia

99% of nostalgia threads I see are 75 cap HNM-related, because that's what the NA playerbase was exposed to. Does anyone else ever reminisce about pre-75 HNM hunting and consider it to be the golden era of end-game content?

I started on the JP PC version in December 2002, so the first end-game content I did was at the 60 cap. There was maybe one JP LS on the server that was able to kill HNM like Serket and CC prior to this, so items like Scorpion Harness, Haubergeon, Speed Belt, and Healing Staff were kept 100% inside that one LS and never seen, let alone sold.

The absolute BEST gear you could possibly acquire prior to hunting starter HNM like Roc and Simurgh was:

DD:
Peacock Charm
Sniper's ring x2
7 sins weapons
AF
Nation cape
Life Belt

Tank (PLD):
AF
Nation shield
Gluttony Sword

Mage:
AF
Astral Ring x2

There was still relatively low competition, so HNM hunting consisted of globetrotting and killing what your group was capable of killing every few days on a pop schedule. You didn't recruit people based on the gear they had, but on whether or not they could communicate with you and would commit to showing up. Zerging didn't exist and healers took turns resting to regain MP during fights.

There was still mystery to the world and its toughest HNM, and some things were thought to be unkillable. There was no wiki and everything was learned VIA trial and error. It's amazing to think back to the game's release, when everyone was struggling to level together to the 50 cap, how there were level 70-80 HNM lurking in terrifying places. The ones that are most fascinating to me are:

The 4 demons in Zvahl Baileys (i.e. Grand Duke Batym):
Spawned in a scary zone, level 76, surrounded by 70s normal pops, like gore demons, that were ridiculous to kill even with an alliance.

Serket:
Spawned in a seriously scary place, level 70, surrounded by undead, devastating AOE.

Capricious Cassie:
Spawned in a remote, mysterious, scary place, level 70, devastating AOE.

Cemetery Cherry:
Devastating AOE.

Of the four NMs or groups listed, only Serket even dropped anything of great value prior to the 75 cap. The only HNM that were genuinely worthwhile were:

Roc (Healing Staff, damascene ingot for Haubergeon)
Simurgh (damascene ingot)
King Arthro (damascene cloth for Vermillion Cloak)
Serket (scorpion claw for Scorpion Harness, Serket Ring)

It wasn't until the 70s when:
Amity Cape could be crafted into Peace Cape and then Errant Cape.
Beastmen gods could replace beastment kings and drop worthwhile items (i.e. Raise III).
Divine log could be crafted into divine lumber and then Shura gear.
KB & Aspidochelone could spawn in place of Behemoth and Adamantoise and drop useful items.

All that said, does anyone else ever reminisce about these times? What are some of the NM and/or zones that you thought to be terrifying back then? I wonder why no one even considers the possibility of a 60 cap private server.