Is anyone else bothered by the lack of incentive for mediocre players to improve?

[Yenn]

Nope.

If I bench 1 ton and someone uses a crane to lift 1 ton that doesn't "degrade my sense of accomplishment" at all. In any way. Same concept applies here.

And besides, it's a video game with a 2.5 second GCD where you fight scripted AI bosses. You're already setting the bar extremely low if you're going to use this game to boost your self-esteem. Stop comparing yourself to others and just play the game, ffs. This stuff is embarrassing.

Except this makes zero sense.
A better analogy would be you bench one ton and get a trophy for it, and then someone uses a crane to lift it and gets the same trophy.
The fact that the person with the crane was granted the same reward that you worked hard for, without putting in any effort, degrades the work you put towards the goal.

Yes, it's a video game with a 2.5 second GCD where you fight scripted AI bosses and 95% of players are failing at it and not improving at all. This is the entire problem.
I don't even want to guess at what percentage of players have downed Twintania, which became a trivial encounter after the Twister fixes.

And this is where someone comes in with 'hurrdurr the person with the crane did it smarter plz giv me free loot to help wipe on titan hm'

[Miburo]

Except this makes zero sense.
A better analogy would be you bench one ton and get a trophy for it, and then someone uses a crane to lift it and gets the same trophy.
The fact that the person with the crane was granted the same reward that you worked hard for, without putting in any effort, degrades the work you put towards the goal.

Yes, it's a video game with a 2.5 second GCD where you fight scripted AI bosses where 95% of players are failing at it and not improving at all. This is the entire problem.
I don't even want to guess at what percentage of players have downed Twintania, which became a trivial encounter after the Twister fixes.

And this is where someone comes in with 'hurrdurr the person with the crane did it smarter plz giv me free loot to help wipe on titan hm'

Yeah, and my accomplishment still wouldn't be diminished in any way because someone got the same trophy. If I bench 2000 lbs then I did something awesome. I'm still going to feel pretty awesome, even if someone gets the same dumb trophy. I still accomplished that feat. I'm still a hulk level beast. That is why I feel good. Not because of the trophy I get afterward.

If you're playing this game so you can get your dumb trophy (video game clothing for your video game cat man...) and feel like a special snowflake afterward, then that's embarrassing. And that is exactly what this thread is about. You're complaining because you can't be special because people you feel are below you are able to get the same dumb trophies as you. Come on, man.

Like I said, don't worry about what other people have. If you are able to do things with lower ilvls and are good at the game, then why not just be proud of your own accomplishments? You did that stuff the hard way, or whatever, feel good about it. It doesn't matter at all if someone else has the same neato shorts or pretty necklace or whatever that you got from the same fight. Even if he did it the super easy way and stinks at the game or whatever. What really matters to you? Your accomplishments or the dumb gear you get? If it's your accomplishments then what other people have or do doesn't matter. If it's the dumb video game gear then...that's sad, bro.

[RocketUnderwear]

Except this makes zero sense.
A better analogy would be you bench one ton and get a trophy for it, and then someone uses a crane to lift it and gets the same trophy.
The fact that the person with the crane was granted the same reward that you worked hard for, without putting in any effort, degrades the work you put towards the goal.

It is obvious that you have never operated a crane before. Have you considered what it takes to do it right? Have you considered what minimum angle can the boom be at to lift that load? Can you identified if the crane intended to do the lifting is rated for that weight? Is the ground stable? Is the crane braced properly? I could go on but I'm sure you get a point.

You're all missing the point, which is that giving out free loot to bad players makes it impossible to identify skilled players, as you can in other games.

Incorrect. I always assume that the pugs I'm running with are complete n00bs and need training wheels on a tricycle. With this approach I have never been disappointed by a complete fail.

[TouchandFeel]

I agree that it would be nice if the highest tier of gear was only available by "earning it" through completing the highest tier of content, for example all the allagan gear being ilvl95. Not a huge difference, but enough to make those that want to be on the bleeding edge to be able to set themselves apart.

Asides from that, I think the tome gear buying system is fine.