Quote Originally Posted by Lunaxia View Post
Tomes/ crafted weapons aren't always incredibly viable options for a newbie, depending on where in the patch cycle we are, both requiring either a time investment (the tokens and tomes required for the weapons) or a financial one. EX trials also have the allure of glams and drops; overall, they're a pretty important of endgame, and appealing to newer players. I think tearing down some of the mystique surrounding harder content and encouraging sprouts could only be beneficial, without much in the way of consequence other than offending the sensibilities of those it will never affect.
Tome / crafted gear is essential to dip into endgame, even to go through cap dungeons. One should take the time to get geared up at least on one side before venturing further into dungeons. It really doesn't matter where you are in the patch cycle. Proper gear should be a priority before one gets into the content at cap.

I ran into this problem the other day, where a PLD queued up for Dead Ends and they had relic gear and some miscellaneous stuff, which didn't help when I was trying to heal them and they insisted on pulling big. It wasn't their first time through, so they should've known / been told to update their gear before trying that, but I had to be the one to tell them.