IMO games are not all about gear. I don't like the raid for gear to wait for raid to gear again "rinse repeat" until expansion comes out to do the same over and over.
What I like is doing lots of questing to unlock a certain area where more story awaits and new lands to be explored. To ME gear is bonus when accomplishing something. (not only beating a boss)
Yes gear in XI took way to long to get and in XIV its way way way to easy. A good balance in between should have been applied.

Its better to have 500k player subbing for 1 year then 1M subbing for 2-3 months.