I just wish they put an actual roadblock prior to the trial itself. You get no warning that you’re undergeared until you’ve just watched that dramatic scene that leads immediately into the battle, and instead you have to break that experience to go shopping, or possibly even grind elsewhere.

It would make a lot of sense to have a gear check before you get on the boat. Perhaps one of your companions says something like “this could be dangerous, make sure you’re well-prepared” and then you get a system message saying you need to be at i335 before you can continue.