I'm trying to figure out a way to say this that is clear and concise and explains exactly what the problem seems to be. But there are multiple problems and they impact playability in multiple ways, so I'll try a simple list.

1. Players don't and simply in many cases can't train their skills evenly. The rates at which primary, secondary and tertiary skills train result in sometimes vast differences. On my thief, my highest skills are all in the survival category, meaning my weapons (secondary) are 300-400 ranks behind the related survival skills. For my magic primary, TM is far ahead of all other combat skills. This is true across all guilds. So when a creature flexes to my highest skill AND THEN SOME I am completely unable to stand toe to toe with them. I understand you say that is "affects the flex score" but it doesn't seem to be doing it appropriately. Further, when they flex their perception to the level that makes it impossible for me to hide, I am not completely nerfed and unable to use my best skills to fight. They're hard, I get that. They're supposed to be hard. Makes sense. But when they're designed to break the one skill I as a thief can use do any DPS whatsoever, it's borked.

2. My highest weapon skill is small edged. Spiders appear to be resistant. So now I need to use a skill that is lower than the one they were flexing to. I can't simply use my highest weapon because that results in a really long fight of light hits. If I'm fighting a broodling for a long time, a second broodling spawns and I'll be dead.

3. Although you've said it doesn't happen this way, there are MANY instances of people fighting just fine until someone significantly higher comes in. A friend with 200-ish combats is fighting in Acenemacra. Doing fine. It's not easy, it's taking work, but doing fine. I show up with significantly higher ranks, spiders spawn, he's near dead in less than 2 minutes. I am fighting in Acenemacra and then someone else shows up who fights moths and I'm SOL and have to leave the zone until they finish up. This does not seem to be as intended.

4. The poison from broodlings seems borked. It does not purge the way it should for thieves. It lasts an extremely long time.

Essentially it feels like what's being said is that we should just expect if we're going to try to fight broodlings we're going to die once or twice or more. Is that the case?