Why are low standards for dps acceptable?

[DPZ2]

other analogies work too

Neither of those analogies work at all, mainly because the player would need to have been given skis to play soccer in the first place. Same with the mittens.

There is no equivalent to 'skis' (an entirely different sport than soccer with a different set of gear) when comparing level 50 and level 60 skill sets in this game.

It might be like playing chess while missing a rook. Do-able, but not optimal. Problem there, of course, is there are plenty of chess games where that rook is never moved or used.