It doesn't benefit a casual gamer if the items require raid-only reagents.
Doesn't sound like your slur usage is necessary, either.
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Farming materials to use yourself instead of selling them is also a gold sink. Just one that is harder for some types of people to understand.
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Citation needed?
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The current legendary system didn't have a massive gold barrier. 100k gold for 291 items is very cheap, and they have since fallen to 15k. There is no incentive to craft if you don't make any money.
Anyhow.
Bliz saying they want crafting to be cheap is great and all but has no impact on reality. The reality is they've added these "crafting quality" levels, which will mean "everyone" will consider anything but the highest level to be garbage. In a "we hope to get AOTC" guild? You'll be "required" to bring level 4/4 potions, level 3/4 potion will be a warning and level 2/4 will be a /gkick!
But hey, 4/4 potions will "only" offer like 20 more mainstat or whatever... which is equal to a food buff which people demand today. No way they'd demand that tomorrow!
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If you can't list your alleged source, your account should be immediately banned.
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"What's the point of a meaningful crafting system other than meeting the constant demands/feedback for a meaningful crafting system from the players"
One benefit of the system as described is you can fully gear alts without playing them. Use your main to raid mythic, get a crafting reagent that is BOP for a BOP item. On your alt, create a work order for 1 gold to make the item, missing the BOP item. Log back on your main and select the work order and do it, for a net gold loss (to yourself). Your alt now has mythic level gear despite not playing.