They're happy to a point. However, it makes many people annoyed that they have to go through the savage process to get a better version of the gear they already earned, i.e. it being dyable. Raid gear is some of the nicest gear in the game. Still, the savage loot not being unique and affecting the quality of the looks on the standard version makes it insufferable after a while, especially when you may have to wait for it two-three yrs for a single complete dyable armour set. It doesn't make people want it more either it makes them want it less and is disappointing, so it has the opposite effect. Some people only play the game for loot and don't think savage is that fun, not because of the challenge but because you wipe because of a random person and the need to schedule raid nights consistently.
The gear grind doesn't even matter after two patches. They will just give you good catch up gear, and you will be the same as everyone else. You might as well leave the game until two patches before a new expansion, and you will be fine after 1-3 days of daily roulettes and not have to suffer through arbitrary currency caps etc.
This game suffers from the worst parts of an MMO and doesn't have the best features as it's more a focused linear narrative with no intrinsic character customisation such as talents etc. The overall end game is great for 1-3 months, but after that, it's a pointless and unnecessary grind in futility. Even the relic weapon grind is meh, and zones like Eurika and Bojza are dull, bland and 15yrs out of date when it comes to MMO design. The game focuses all of its effort on the story and doesn't develop long-lasting fun content for a player throughout the two yrs. They could have done this with the season pass in PVP, but there is no real reward for time and effort other than an adventurer plate frame that no one cares about or wants to look at.