Originally Posted by
Stir
What does a computer science background have to do with game system development?
Absolutely nothing.
Racials... To be perfectly honest, racials were fun, but are suboptimal at best. Races would do much better to be picked because of personal preference than as a game systems tool. We're all ingrained with the notion of racials ever since Dungeons and Dragons, but the fact of the matter is: If those races are taken because of the benefit they grant to one's class (such as the Forsaken's new lifedrain proc, or Tauren stamina), then those abilities should be represented in the class itself, for balance reasons. I could write you an essay, but I'm afraid I'm limited by both the forum's character limit and my own lack of patience.
Your understanding of the term 'min/maxing' is also flawed. Min/maxing is taking only that which immediately benefits a single certain goal. For instance: Gemming and enchanting stamina only, and foregoing gear with green stats in favour of raw stamina, is an example of min/maxing. Sure, you'll be an easy target, won't hit anything, can't deal much damage and won't avoid anything, but you sure do have a lot of hit points. Likewise, taking only attack power or haste for damage output while disregarding all other damage stats is min/maxing.
You're confusing the term with 'optimization,' which is something completely different.
The point of gemming and enchanting gear is to add customization options (something different again!) that would accommodate your personal playstyle. However, since 'playstyle' has turned into 'use this cookie-cutter rotation, with prio on that proc,' personal playstyle doesn't exist anymore. A lot of people believe that 'cookie cutter' means 'take the talents everyone else does as well,' but while that is a part of it, it is definitely not the total. Cookie-cutter also includes things like 'Get these item pieces, with this specific enchant, those imbues, those gems, and those reforges. Your total hit, expertise, haste and mastery should be around this point if optimum, and their respective values at specific item levels are [], [], and [].'
Basically, gems and enchants used to be for customization, but now they are cookie-cutter. There is an optimum way to do things, and not to do so would be foolish. Ergo: Enchanting and gem-cutting are now redundant, as their added values to the game system (though not the experience) have, in practice, disappeared. For the system itself, it would be much more beneficial to remove both gems and enchants, and add their values to the items themselves instead. It would prevent some system clutter.
Of course, all of this goes without saying because, obviously, you understand 'computer science' way better, and thus have a much firmer grasp game systems and all the things that have to do with it.
To the OP: No, I wouldn't miss it. In the current state of the game, these systems are redundant, sub-optimal and simply inconvenient.