Is or is not can be debated all day.....
Just to put numbers on it, let's say they increase the gear you get by 100%. That would essentially half the advantage of whale/kraken players.... where's the business sense in that, why would they do that.
The crunch is designed to make you make choices, and force you to make smart moves.the farm/grind is the strategy. At this point there is very little gear that can't be bought in a shop not just farmed. Could drop rates be better sure, but really how would that actually be better....