Patch 3.3 will add the all-classes DOH gear, significantly reducing the grind, as well as a new additional method of obtaining crafters' materia.

Crafted item level 220 battle gear that was added in patch 3.2 is very quick and easy to make, with no lockouts and generously priced materials to buy with tomestones, including HQ.

Specialist locked recipes only remain restricted until the very next major patch after they were introduced. So all the IL 220 gear will require no specialisation soon, but new specialist recipes will be introduced.

Crafting was never that bad to begin with. At the time when it took really long to get the best gear, that was before 3-star recipes were introduced so there was no actual need to have the gear sets completed really fast. And the materials locked behind caps at least made you some good money due to rarity. They added alternative uncapped ways to get those same mats back in patch 3.1. More recently they added them to dungeon loot.