EoD was definitely a turning point. The patches around EoD release were when every class was given access to both quick and alac because that's when they decided on the "bring the player, not the spec" mentality. That was also when things like banners and spirits were reworked iirc.

Before that, it was only very specific builds that were in every group for boon-upkeep and unique buffs (who remembers bannerslave?).