This is just going to go around in circles now.
Maybe, but I just want to add. You either reward people for completing the highest level of content or you kick them in the balls. ATM FFXIV is kicking raiders in the balls and have lowered the restrictions so everyone can ride it. There is no content to appeal to the players who want to parade in game for being the best.
I won't disagree with you there. But there is something to be said about lowering the bar to try and rebuild the raiding community after Midas and Gordias thoroughly ran roughshod over it; the rewards, however could be better you're absolutely correct.
They have to spread sub-optimal stats around, otherwise there won't really be any choices and stats wouldn't need to exist any more, you'd just always go with the highest item level thing.
That new Arrhidaeus mount from Soul of the Creator (Savage) is a pretty good reward for raiding too, so the weapon isn't everything.
Yeah, it's dumb. I'm probably gonna just permanently use the sophia scholar book until expansion or if I actually finish anima.