The problem here is what do you define as casual content and what do you define as hardcore content in a game like this where we all have to do the same content to progress? EQII did this and it turned into the solo content and gear was for the casuals and everything else, even just basic dungeons, started to be balanced toward the more hardcore because the content wasn't challenging enough. There was even one expansion that was too hard for the solo fanbase when it first came out because it had been balanced toward hardcore gear in the beta. That got updated, but it was unpleasant just trying to complete the solo content in open zones when it first launched. If you're going to say the MSQ here should be balanced around more hardcore gear, then you lock the casual fanbase out of MSQ progression.