I think the gear 12 pieces are well designed. All brand new items you get from TB store. Simple and straightforward.
What honestly killed little hope i had for the situation to improve is those new pieces of gear to go from gear 11 to 12. Most of those requires stun guns, carbantis and/or cuffs. I think this is where the design philosophy of the game sucks.
New aat raid gear? MkIV holo projector needs cuffs. New TB gear? Mk V comlink requires mk IV that requires cuffs... The old gear is part of the receipe of the new one and that creates an endless need for those 3 dreaded pieces (cuffs, guns, carbantis).
It's ridiculous when you think of it, to go back to the mkIV holo projector, that it is easier to get the raid parts to make it than the cuffs...
As a bare minimum put cuffs and guns into challenges same as carbantis. At least it creates a steady influx. And update raid loot boxes by taking out challenge gear.
Let's not even talk about "farmable" gold gear that has abyssimal drop rate the only way is to buy with crystals.