Gear level, the final nail in the games coffin.

[Kyriea]

It's not really about being elitist. You have to stop being lazy with your gear at endgame because things get difficult. If you aren't properly geared then you're just wasting other people's time. AF is fine for AK but not optimal for speedruns. You should definitely not be using AF past HM Ifrit. And if you're too lazy to at least get the best GC weapon then you definitely shouldn't be doing endgame content.

See this is where my point comes in. Too lazy to get the best GC weapon? But wait a second, the best GC weapon is available once you beat AK, so your point is invalid. That would mean people aren't being lazy with their gear, they are actually doing exactly what you're saying and getting the best GC weapon.