Here's the thing, I think that skill playing the game should be the most important thing. That means having the right bar for the job (and different goals needing different bars) and knowing how and when to use it. I don't want the endgame to become grinding for better gear so we can more easily grind for better gear.

I also remember reading about FF11 where the named items from the previous game took a year or some crazy number to get to the point where it was usable. Something like that isn't what I'd call good game design.

When the forums first started, I asked the devs to look at modern games like EVE (and its new incursions), Rift, and GW2 and offer real dynamic content. Something like that were you aren't raiding the same dungeons, you aren't always facing the same foes, and you can't always use the same tactics would be better... and in a game like that, I think that gear should intentionally be lessen in impact so players are forced to get better.