This is a massive oversimplification. NOBODY said anything about thinking pinks should be handed out like candy. Yes, the more you play, the more you'll get good gear-MAYBE. The drops are inconsistent. If campaigns can be played for HOURS and someone doesn't even walk away with a purple then I think the drop rate is too low. Or more likely, it's inconsistent. I don't want anything handed to me. Gear matters. Period. And pinks are viewed as more than gear- they are part of the reward of being a good player...and playing pretty much daily... And of buying the new campaigns the hour they come out. I do not and have never espoused that pinks be EASY to get. Skeller is not fun as far as gear goes- it's much too easy. Ah- but now I'm sure i'm being judged for buying Skeller. Go ahead. It was a new set of maps. And support for the devs. So- I purchased it. As for PL general, there are probably a lot of us non-elite that play daily. I daresay we are important to the game. I keep hearing all that matters are the hardcore players. And the definition of hardcore is VERY severe. I doubt that the majority of us players are putting in more than a couple of hours a day. I'm tired of feeling looked down upon It is my game as much as anyone else's. I have the right to my opinion as a consistent player of this game. So does Esus. So does Azrael. Maybe we disagree, fine. But don't lambast me as just being a casual player as if it's a dirty word and as if it means that I expect and want things easy. I don't. I resent all the grandiose assumptions made that "non-elite" players don't want hard quests, etc. That's not true.
I didn't say that I want anything easy. But drops should be consistent. If I'd seen some of the drops some folks describe, my opinion would be that the drops are fine... But the drops I saw were much less than some have described in this thread. Regardless, my opinion is worth as much as any "Elite" members- and if it's not, I can leave. Though I suspect that the devs manage to eat because of all us non-elite players.

Devs- I apologize for writing this in a thread that should just be celebrating the truly fantastic AO2 campaign you've created...

I had to defend myself though.