For the HNM...it was somewhat of a fixed thing. The king would have to spawn before 7 days are up, and the HNM would have to spawn within 3 hours each day. At least that much is 100%
But that's like saying you can enter harder dungeon once a week or that you can enter a primal battle after 15 minute cooldown.

There's no difference there - the attempt is set in stone, the loot is based off of a terribly contrived RNG. I get the concept that rare gear should be physically rare, but instead of making it based on luck and leave the players to impose their own loot priority system, give them a secondary system that encourages players to work together to get what they want both individually and collectively.

The old systems weren't good. They're just nostalgic now that we're past them.

That's not to say throw the baby out with the bath water,as someone suggested. But the baby is 10 years old now and that's past time for it to be potty trained.