Speaking from my off-site RP experience

[quote=@Sypherkhode822]
But where are the small Rps? We have slice-of-life's, but while those are smaller in scale scope wise-in that they only concern themselves with the ordinary lives of (for the games context) ordinary people, the time scale they operate at suggest the willingness to be played until the characters have reached the point in their lives that they'll be shipped off to a retirement home. 
[/quote]

You seem to be confusing duration for scale. I can make an RP about two people falling in love and spending the rest of their days together, with the RP effectively ending when they die. I can also make an RP that scales the entire globe, but it ends once the universal tyrant with the world ending agenda is slain. 

[quote=@Sypherkhode822]
But how often are there games that are designed to end on a manageable time frame? Has anyone seen a roleplay that asks people to roleplay a single event? 
[/quote]

I was in 1 RP where the goal was to end it as fast as possible. We just had to develop our characters and slay a dragon that was harassing a town. It lasted two months. While it was exhilarating to see things progress so fast, most of the minor characters were severely underdeveloped. Even the primary characters were a little rough around the edges. You're not going to say everything you want to say in shorter amounts of time.

[quote=@Sypherkhode822]
What if there was a game created that asked it's players to roleplay a riot, or a group date, or a week long siege, or any event that has a definite end to it? 
[/quote]

See above.

[quote=@Sypherkhode822]
Having a game like that would probably reduce the much maligned player burnout that seems to happen a few weeks or months into a Rp, causing them to flicker out. 
[/quote]

I do think the GM should have an idea what the hell they want to do and try to advance towards that goal, but I've participated (and hosted) RPs where that single minded determination to advance the story ends up alienating players who want to take things slower. The burnout doesn't come from being overwhelmed, but from being unable to keep up.

[quote=@Sypherkhode822]
I'm curious if anyone has any experience with games like this, or if they feel strongly one way or another about having an idea of the scope of their game. 
[/quote]

Having a direction for your RP is paramount to it's success, but I've been in "epic" scale RPs that have come to their end. The GM just needs to make sure the players don't get lost. They do this by giving them a reason to stick together (in the same general area), move to certain locations, and complete objectives. They also need the foresight to allow their players to, well, play, and flex their plans when necessary.