I love it when people try to compare this game to other more traditional MMOs without offering all the facts. I've played about a dozen different MMOs in the past 15+ years. Either get your facts straight or speak with some actual credible amount of experience, neither of which you have, apparently. 1. The fact is that real MMOs put out a level-cap increase expansion about once a year, if that, so your hard-earned raid gear isn't going to be retired every three months. 2. Another fact is that when real MMOs do introduce level-cap increase expansions, your top-tier gear isn't immediately obsolete. It's still viable through the new levels until you hit the new level cap at which point you start replacing it with the better gear (or upgrading it). 3. A final fact is that several MMOs such as Rift, SWTOR, and WoW have implemented upgrade systems where you can still keep that really sweet looking raid armor you worked your butt off to get by upgrading the components inside of it to be level appropriate for the new content.