The rebate idea is still the best I got. That way nobody gets left in the dust. Furthermore, this is good for people who have no RMED's at the moment, because the new Skirmish weapons will be great for them and can then help them obtain an RMED of their choice.

Also, why can't the trials that boost item stats just be available for everyone to undertake on an RME of any level? That makes sense, right? That way no one's 99 effort goes to waste and no lesser incarnations of the weapons are made useless. If the trials are all the same, that means that end product will still scale in power along with its level.