Like a friend of mine said; they have to focus solely on Strength for doing damage, Witch Hunters have to put Ballistics to it and this splitting reduces overall-dps in point blank situations.

Nevertheless the lack of a minimum range is still a great advantage for the Magus over the Engineer.

However, I do feel that PHAT EPIX is what drives a lot of people. And not making it TOO hard to get, but work still. Enough work so that the grand population of supercasuals will not have it, but anyone willing to work long weekends will. It is within reach of everyone, but handed to nobody. However, I agree that if you make it too easy, you take the carrot away.

Though I found PvE very mind dulling and generally simple in WoW unlike a lot of people, that was not the general opinion.

Many people looked up to players with better raid gear, and thought that some day they would be them. And eventually, blizzard toned down every instance, making it slowly more accessible. So, you look up to that person, and eventually become them even as they progress further.

Too easy, and you have a bunch of twins and clowns and turds with every item in the game. They are making it much like you say – a chest out in the open for anyone to grab.