I have been reading the stickies and other forums on this page and I realize that after XI purple farming(nearly there ...) then the next step is XII via "hard" mode STF and reputation system. The thing is I like to mix things up and I still enjoy doing tons of fleet actions.

I am not looking forward to grinding the same set of "dungeons" over and over again to get XII drops or accumulate reps / commendations / bla bla bla. Is there another option for progression? I like the system that is in place for dilithium where you can earn the "currency" doing a variety of things. Can this be done with XII gear so I can continue progression and keep my sanity? I admit I am playing somewhat casually(for an MMO) ... somewhere between 1 - 2 hours a day. I am not looking to compete in PvP ... just want to keep progressing.

I really don't want to do the repetitive grind ... I had enough with TOR's flashpoint farm fest, thank you very much.

You can't get MK XII Gear from Dilithium alone. If you don't want to do the STFs then you can always get the Fleet MK XII gear. It's more than adequate for PVE and most PVP. And depending on what you are playing the MK XI stuff maybe fine.

Did a quick search and you are correct. Ok, I guess I need to contribute more fleet marks / Dilithium to my fleet to upgrade the base. Works for me! Thanks.

Yep. Fleet gear is some of the best gear in the game, and easy to obtain if you've got the resources to contribute for fleet credits.

The reputation systems are also paths to purple Mk XII gear. They require a bit more work, and maybe a bit more patience.

...IF one is in a Fleet, that is.

Getting end-game gear should not be "quick and easy" but I do appreciate the question because if there is a way then someone should make a guide

But I guess there isn't ...