As it's been mentioned, having sideways progression is a great way to feel like you're not just wasting time till the next patch, however that sideways progression won't work in this game until they implement more interesting sub-stats.

Things like +2% chance to stun on hit, 3/5 pieces of gear = increased crit rate. Basically items that let you chase after some different end-game paths to try and collect but don't fade out once the next numbered patch drops.