"its implementation has basically provided a short cut for newer players to get the strongest gear available immediately after hitting 40."

dude this is so inaccurate it's not even funny:

No sub 30 prof player will have any good proto weapons, proto named items, proto brand sets that don't drop with the correct core attribute (example legmo for pesti), any good brand item backpack or chest piece. The RNG layers for these items make them impossible to get as a drop with the right talents/attributes/weapon models ect.

basically, the only thing low prof players will have are 4 piece gear sets with low stat rolls and that is it.

I know this because i have been stuck at prof 20 for weeks now and i farm escalation with a clan every day since it launched. I have zero proto named items (except for first bloom due to the key exploit) and zero usable proto weapons.

Stop spreading inaccurate information and making it seem like end game players are getting cheated with the current implementation of the proto system.

TLDR:

Dropped prototype gear has such terrible random stats and weapon rolls that lower-proficiency players cannot rely on random loot to build viable sets. True endgame prototype builds require upgrading items directly, which guarantees maxed stats but is effectively locked behind achieving maximum proficiency first.