1. Alex gear from savage and normal are different. Alex armor is dye-able and comes with unique weapons and accessories that players from normal Alex cannot receive. You will know what a raider is compared to a casual player who does not raid just by looking at them.

2. The formula is the most profitable and favorable among developers and players. Take a game like World of Warcraft who have had the same formula for 7 years (BC - Present) who still have millions of subscribers. End game dungeons are another topic. They are not boring when you first go in them, they are frikin fun! They get boring because you did the same dungeons and raid bosses for 3 months straight without any rest or exploration of other content as you wait for the next patch. This the same with all games. They eventually get boring when it becomes a routine and that is why we get patches.

3. FF11...Sigh... is the most unbalanced game with the most ridiculous end game requirements that I have ever played. The Exp attributes were a terrible idea. They punished new players and casual players in end game content for lack of time invested in farming exp for the merits to be able to get into raids. They will always be picked over by a guy who has merits compared to someone who does not.