This is a very grindy game, plain and simple.
@Switch, you keep referring to “end-game players” as if they have been gifted this status. The number of hours that were put in to get to this “insurmountable hurdle” far outweighs what is required with the current game. Sure, it is very daunting for a new account to look at the numbers to max out an account, but that is the wrong perspective and is not the best way to set goals.
Prior to the scroll update, most of the “end-game players” considered level 45 mythic the attainable goal for all gear except weapons. So maybe do your calculations on the glyphs required to that more reasonable goal. Personally, I think it would be unwise to spend glyphs on level 46-50 if I had other characters I wanted to level and play as well.
The “end-game players” had to build up gear without many of the current shortcuts. Their efforts, documentation, and constructive discussions have led to the changes that now make it possible to get close to end-game in a much more reasonable amount of time.
I opened probably 2000+ chests with keys in the first couple days after the spell rework (2.5) to gather drop rate data and put together the argument for higher spell drop rates here. I spend a lot of time advocating for changes to content that I have already conquered, because it is that effort and journey that makes it clear where there is imbalance.
I know the character specific scrolls is still a sticking point that most players dislike, but like most sticking points in this game, it will eventually be balanced. Usually this happens well after the “end-game players” have pushed through those roadblocks with brute force.
Without having experienced 3.1 and 3.1.5 hands-on I think it is unfair to make a claim that it has not improved anything. Time will tell, but from my experienced viewpoint it looks like a move in the right direction.