As a different way of looking at it, you could say that if they're good enough to get the tomes required to get the gear, why then don't they deserve it? I mean, if I work hard to be able buy something I'm going to need in order to TRY to face a harder challenge, then how can you say I didn't earn it? Yes, tomes are easier to get now, but remember when they weren't? How monotonous did spamming WP and AK all day get? You could even say neither of those dungeons were even a challenge anymore by then, so why then would the people who did it deserve their gear? Gear isn't a substitute for skill, period. That doesn't mean people with less skill deserve lesser gear. No, that would create a player gap. A huge wall that most won't be able to or even bother trying to climb. Imagine having to do Coil in i55 gear (because you don't DESERVE anything better until you can beat Coil). Would you still want to try? Lacking the skill/knowledge of the dungeon AND lacking gear to keep you alive?