Is this where it begins?

[Glamdring]

I'd have to be mostly in agreement with Aethon. With us hard-capped at 99 there's going to be a limit on the difficulty of regular content, and to some extent even on boss fights. SE learned a lesson a few years ago with parental outrage over the difficulty of AV, they are unlikely to revive THAT level of difficulty. So, to make the content entertaining they CAN'T make the gear much more powerful than it already is, because too much of the game is easy mode as it is. Hence side-grade since we are already at the easy-mode limit on most content.

and @Detlef, I read that quote too, but I got a different take on it. It sounded to me more like they are going to be extremely cautious on gear stats to prevent OP while still making something we might want, if only for situational use. He also said that he didn't want to shut out the casuals from end-game content, and making content that could only be beaten with multiple sets of Uber-gear swapping that is only from major difficulty and/or super grinds would likely do just that. It sounded to me like the goal was to make content that even casuals could beat, it would just take alot longer to work through it.

now, I'm not sure that's the way PLAYERS want them to go (some certainly do), but it seems like what we have...

[Alhanelem]

It began at day 1 of launch. The game has always been full of stuff like this, especially at the old level cap. It had to be expected.

[Caketime]

Occasionally I question the "Beat up these super powerful monsters for new pants!" style of progression. Why do we do these things, and how come the pants are always a perfect fit? Also, why is there a better pair of pants released every few months? Is this Hell?

[Rustic]

Occasionally I question the "Beat up these super powerful monsters for new pants!" style of progression. Why do we do these things, and how come the pants are always a perfect fit? Also, why is there a better pair of pants released every few months? Is this Hell?

Hell is when you realize the pants no longer fit the next day.

[Hayward]

To an extent, I don't mind the leveling off of Armor stats as we move forward into Adoulin. For one, I've had it with S-E overshadowing each job's "uniforms", if you will, to the point of irrelevance--which they've tried to reverse some with AF2+2 trials. S-E cannot and should not try this with AF3+2 simply because someone with a superiority complex thinks he should be better than everyone else. If you enjoy an endgame event for it's own sake, I've got no problem with that. I have a big problem with people who want overpowered gear that only a small sliver of the population can get simply because AF3+2 is too "normal".

[Return1]

There has to be better gear for the more dedicated or any mmo would die. I hate these people talking about they dont want others being better than them because they can't/dont make time or do said event. Their stupidity is astounding. Hey guys lets remove the driving force behind every mmorpg to ever exist so I can feel better about my Empyrean +2.