This will be a general long talk about the game’s focus on how to reward the differently commited parts of the community (casual <-> hardcore)
So please try to understand the both sides of the coin and dont bring hate on the replies.
I consider following points to be the main pillars of defining GW2’s gameplay :
No treadmill-Gearing -> Which results in players reaching the end of vertical progression very fast and thus makes it a game of horizontal progression. This is where the skins come in play.
Easy to reach LevelCap -> Which shifts the focus a of a player to be better in using his/her profession than running after infinite stats and ever higher DPS.
No Holy Trinity -> Along with not permanent builds, this encourages players to play with many alts and explore the different builds. Also enables players to clear most PvE
content Solo as each profession is capable of tanking/dps/utility.
Shared Loot and Dynamic Grouping -> Enables players to Solo content more easily, eliminates trolling and griefing in PvE and encourages grouping while making it as easy as standing near someone without even talking to him.
I can add more to this but I think you can follow where I want to point at.
GW2 is in its core a very very Solo friendly MMO, in fact I strongly believe this is why this game has such a high success.
I also believe that the core playerbase of GW2 are players who mainly Solo content but are also in a Guild and have friends in game, but use the community only to clear content which is otherwise not soloable. What I mean by this, I believe GW2 players do not play in groups If the content doesnt need it.
To add to this, as the horizontal progressive nature of the Game is dominant, that creates a “completionist” mind in the core solo playars. With other words, I believe, Achievement hunting, skin collecting, and world completion are the main goal of this veteran solo player base.
Now, If you accept that analysis I put forward about the veteran player base, the worst type of content you can add to the game is the type which awards exclusive content that not obtainable through solo/casual PUG play.
Rais for an example, I understand completely the need of having content for a hardcore minorty of the players. I am happy about it, In fact I even consider myself not casual and want to do raids myself.
But do you really need to add otherwise unobtainable content to the raids (i.e. Legendary Armor) to reward this players? Every other skin/item in the game is obtainable through gold farming. Why do I need suddenly commit myself to a hardcore 10 man content to get an armor-set? I can PUG WvW skins, I can pug PvP skins, I can Pug Dungeon skins, I can pug Fractal skins.
Why can’t I pug Raid skins?
You could reward Raid players 100 gold per Wing clear I wouldnt care. But do not reward minorities with exclusive content please.
If the Raid minority demands exclusive content, that means only that their original motivation was only to show off and not really challenging content.
Please add legendary armor to be obtainable out of Raids, and do not reward minorities withe exclusive skins/items.
PS: Raids here is just an example, that mindset should be maintained through all future content.