Maybe it's time for a casual "strike" if not complete departure.

[Evergrey]

The way I see it is character progression is pretty intrinsic regardless of whether you do high-end raiding or not, and gear is one of the key defining factors of this. The normal gear is also as much for casual players doing gearing catch-up as to what it is for high-end raiders that want to raid day 1, the only difference being the latter is generally more lucrative than the former due to the urgency. Some people might grind Normal Mode for it, and that's fine, but when you have a direct comparison like crafted placed up against a weekly gated gearing, then the design choice just strikes me as bizarre, as irrespective of content deficit, people are typically going to go with convenience factor or factor of least resistance.

many, many things in this game go much quicker if you have gear beyond what the minimum asks of you. So yes, you can say it isn't necessary all you like, but it absolutely is practical beyond just "Man I feel good".

But it is when people to go for the "convenience factor or factor of least resistance" that they make a direct decision to choose not to partake in content the game provides.
So it really baffles me when people make a choice and then complain that "there's nothing to do" when they chose to avoid doing it.
It's like saying if you went to a buffé and only picked the fried chicken, then complained how there wasn't anything else to choose from.
Taste in things are personal and not everyone likes everything. But complaining when choosing to limit oneself just feels odd to me.
Just accept that you do what you want to and don't put blame on others that they "can enjoy" more stuff than what you do.

I know people don't like it when others tell them to "play something else".
But honestly it's not a bad suggestion.
Instead of clinging on to a game that just makes one complain over the lack of things to do, why not take a break for a month or so and try enjoy something else meanwhile.
I'm only back here because I wanted to buy a mount from Chaotic. I've already canceled the sub and don't plan on actively play until maybe end of expansion to catch up before the next one.
And to people saying that they would've quit if it wasn't because they had a house.
Wouldn't it be more up-sides to just pay the sub while doing something else?
Than paying a sub and complain that there's nothing to do and that the state of the game is downright bad right now?