I believe you’ve overthinking it.
You’re inability to separate yourselves from the idea that WoW should satisfy a slot machine role forces you to protect that mechanism at all costs, leading to over-engineered systems that fail to satisfy a broad enough audience.
There are roughly two types of players represented in this thread:
A: Those who wish to engage in content, to challenge their human capabilities. To test their hand eye coordination, their decision-making prowess or their strategical machinations.
B: Those who measure their progression and success by gear acquisition and it’s various indicators such as ilvl or stat values.
To the folks in group A, gear is a means to an end. A system that hinders that acquisition is simply an obstacle, not a reward structure. Being too stingy with loot will drive them away.
For the folks in group B, deterministic, or predictable loot deliver represents a far less exciting reward moment. They want to feel lucky, and the only way to make that real is to make loot properly rng. I dislike this mentality, but I have no authority to say it’s inappropriate.
Edit: Originally had A and B backwards in this paragraph.
My concern however, is that group B is trying to gatekeep group A for the sake of their own satisfaction, by forcing RNG onto everyone, whether they like it or not. Conversely, I think it’s important to address group B’s desires as legitimate.
I think it’s WoW’s enduring affair with serving group B at group A’s expense that has caused so much trouble down the line. The slot machine does not serve a majority of audience, and does not do a good job of rewarding any audience with the necessary consistency - by it’s very nature.
