I've been trying to give the product team the benefit of the doubt, but I'm pretty convinced now there just isn't a vision here. There is only reaction.
You try to take away embers as a means to fill in gear slots... which is a totally necessary thing because otherwise we can only gear by RNG. Rightfully you backed off this, though it should not have been a thought in the first place.
Now you've taken away any means for us to improve as a solo player. My kinship is fairly casual and only does 6/12 man content once a week. So on off days I would farm school to try and improve any purple traceries I still had.
As it was, this was a super tedious process given that the traceries you get are random. But at least it was a path forward that I could take. And now... I cant even do that.
So I have to ask SSG product team... what are people supposed to do when their kin isn't available for 6/12? Do you have a vision? I cant see one here. You do your forge/loft, you do your 3 solo instance lockouts and then.... what? There is no gear or upgrade to be had as a solo player.
I have no reason to login besides my weekly and the scheduled raid. Thats not a good place to be in.... that makes me just not want to log in... dont you think product team?
Maybe a featured instance meant for solo players that is challenging? Maybe allow gundabad solo instances to have a t1-t5? I can think of a dozen things to give people incentive here and there just aren't any.