Gear scores vs. mechanical skill
MechanicsComments
gear scores are just a filter for entry, not a guarantee of success.
But does this automation happen at every stage of the game... or is there a specific "soft cap" where the gear score stops providing a meaningful advantage?
It is worth considering the concept of stat saturation, where marginal gains in gear score yield diminishing returns on actual combat effectiveness. In many current builds, the difference between a 90% and 95% gear score is statistically negligible compared to optimal rotation execution.
The math supports this. Look at the clear-time delta in high-end raids where the top 1% have identical gear but vastly different completion speeds based on input precision.
If a game completely removed gear scores to prioritize skill, would that create a barrier to entry that alienates casual players who enjoy the steady progression of numbers?