So in the end the argument was that if you've played for 500 days and have leveled up crafting and collected enough materials you can gear up in a day?

...

whose argument are you referring to? Cryptic's?

You can make it to 51 in a miranda with all mk I gear. Quite easily in fact.

The infamous "level up to 51 and get the best gear in a day".

I just want to point out that you're not really buying the mid-tier ship for the ship itself... you are buying it for the console, most of which are quite viable at end game, especially in PvP. Having a fancy skin to use on a low level toon is just a bonus.

Those skins are also available for most of the end game ships

So, paying more for a console than it's actually worth. I get it.

Personally, I like it like this.

Leveling should be your training period. Endgame should be your graduation.

It limits level grinding, which is a big pain in the ***.

I don't know about you, but I rather like the idea of going through an entire rank in a week's worth of on and off gaming than I do working at a character's levels for months on end in an endless Bataan Death March of constant grinding.

So personally l like it the way it is.

However, endgame content has to increase (especially with Klingons) in order to keep the players interested, and as a substitute for the now cut down level grinding.

Can I posit a possible motive and get some feedback?
What is the possibility Cryptic is creating the fast low level pace to create a false expectation in the higher ranks? new players zoom through low levels and upon hitting commander their progress slows considerably. Thus making them feel as if they need better ships, and gear to compete and get through high end content, so off to the c-store they go to buy ships and c points then to the dilithium exchange to start buying high end weapons? ..... Nah they wouldn't be doing that would they