The Gear Grind: A Problem of Supply vs. Demand

This thread is spot on. I understand that they want people to drop crystals on the game but an endless grind of the same gear for months isn't the way to get that.
I think the release of ships has shown that people will spend if they are having fun. Those that spent money on ships actually saw a return on what they were putting in. It wasn't just another holo projector with another hundred to go.