I think that the idea for progressing relic this way is good. Providing that level of story through and through is definitely a hook, but when we merely stop after obtaining the relic, well...the content doesn't age well. Generally I would've expected another step to actually ENHANCE the weapon so it's an in-between between Tome Weapon and Edenchoir Weapon, but it isn't; it's merely better than Ruby Weapon for the 300 substat in most cases.

As for all the complaints about the AF Gear being locked behind EX, I'm wanting to believe that it's the majority that don't even have an interest in EX in the first place. Extremes take time to learn, so invest in it if you actually want the equipment since the DPS Check is actually not as bad as you think.