We’ll see if static gear comes back in the next expansion. I doubt it.
Believe it or not, the RNG on gear offers up layers of game play that different people can do.
It lets a single gear system have wide applicability across the player base over and above the static gear system.
With the static gear system, you get the currency, you get the piece and…your done. That’s it. That’s all. Beyond an enchant or a gem, that’s as good as it’s going to get.
With the RNG system, that’s not the case at all.
You can get the piece, and be happy, and be done, just like before. I pretty much play like that. And by that, I mean, like in Argus, I spent time and focus grinding currency to get all of the 910 pieces from the vendor. At which point, I didn’t stop, but I didn’t focus on the currency as much. I was 910+ on the main gear pieces, I got the Relics for the artifact, and I was content.
After that, did I spend more currency on more gear? You bet I did. Why? Because I couldn’t spend it on anything that I really wanted, so I may as well try again on a piece of gear.
But in the end, I wasn’t initially concerned with what secondaries I got, I was simply concerned with trading out the 850 gear with the 910 gear.
Now, others, have more time than me, perhaps more motivation than me, so they were more willing to grind currency to fuel the RNG, hoping for better secondaries, or getting a *Forged piece of gear.
In the old system, folks wanting to do that – couldn’t. They were stuck. Stuck with class specific, but not spec specific gear. No chance on better iLevel. No chance on better secondaries. They is what they is. Read 'em and weep.
The new system? You have a chance. And it works not just on the vendor, but on world bosses, raid bosses, etc. This lets you quickly rise up to an effective iLevel and then, if you want, work the character to make it just that much better. More work, more RNG, more “better” gear.
The iLevel gear you get is designed to make you successful at the level of content you’re playing. That is, the gear you get will work for you. The RNG blips are bonus on top of that.
Now we have this currency system. By cheap RNG tickets for quick gear, or farm it up for that magic, specific piece. Your game play, your choice.
The RNG system is more versatile and gives you more options than the static system. If you feel “trapped” on an RNG treadmill, then call 1-800-GAMBLER and break that cycle. Don’t Do That. But if you want perhaps a little bit better gear for content you feel like doing anyway, for yourself, with your friends, whatever, then RNG is there to help.
Plus, now we get mats from the gear we can’t wear with the Scrap machine. Even better. A single piece of gear offers a bunch of different options.