Alternative for endgame

No matter how you look at it, there’s clearly 2 main groups who want completely different outcomes for this game. I won’t get too into that as it’s all over the board.

Currently you slap a map into the mapping machine and go from there. I propose a toggle option that completely changes the mechanics of the map you put in, turning it into something much more challenging.
People who want to zoom can just put a sticky note not to push the button.

The map becomes a gauntlet where you move between sections having to deal with whatever’s in there. Each section will have a miniboss with their minions, and they are much tougher and have unique mechanics you have to deal with.
Example;
You enter a section and there’s a pack of different types of undead with one of them noticeably different from the rest but can’t be targeted yet. Dispatching the pack will cause that unique one to move in and cannibalise a random corpse. Whichever one it cannibalises first will grant it different abilities. If it was an undead wolf, it will take on animalistic traits and move faster. If it was an undead soldier, it will pick up a weapon and have that moveset.
There is also a dead priest with some holy water which you can take and use to prevent whichever undead trait you choose from being acquired.

The rolls on the map you open will have different but corresponding effects. +monster speed will have more faster monster types (more zombie wolves and less shamblers) rather than a straight up speed buff across the mobs. +fire resistance will instead give monsters fire defensive abilities like magma barrier.

There are 2 treasure chests, 1 halfway through the gauntlet and another with more rewards at the end.
They have their own rarity values that are not affected by the ones you already have, and the gear dropped are more weighted to what you have equipped. So if you’re a quarterstaff chayula monk, the chest will be more likely to have quarterstaff with chaos rolls, etc.

I get where you're coming from trying to find a way for zoom/vision players to engage w/ the same game but i can't help but envision this as Tower content/mechanic (or some other special event/node/unique map you encounter on the atlas)

also, a lot of your ideas remind me of this thread i made and the first section is about refining mob/pack behavior. i feel like, for example, the special mob that doesn't become active until other conditions are met (like the regular mob pack is dead, hey wait that's just abyssals...) is just the start to making pack fights a bit more varied and maps feeling more dynamic. lot of cool ideas you got there overall, and great as a launching pad for others to spring from as well.

So...go play trial of sekhemah or chaos? Sounds a little bit like what you are describing.