What is the point of dropped sets before level cap?

Kragorn

I regularly read posts from theory-crafters and spec-writers who mention using dropped sets rather than crafted ones .. I'm posting this prompted by reading this thread about NB Healing http://forums.elderscrollsonline.com/en/discussion/155898/1-6-nightblade-healer-bloodmage in which the writer mentions Healer's Habit.

Looking that set up I find this:

Level
Quality
Location
23 - 30
Fine
Drops from level 23-30 enemies
VR13
Superior & Epic
Normal Dragonstar Arena reward chests
VR14
Epic
Veteran Dragonstar Arena reward chests

and I sit back and think .. WTF?

I can see once one reaches VR13/VR14 farming the set would be worth the effort seeing as how it's core to this build, but 23-30? Why would anyone bother taking the time to farm it when they'd likely be well over 30 by the time they got it?

ZOS obviously put a lot of effort into creating innumerable sets during the leveling process but at most I think I've had maybe 3 or at most 4 pieces of any set and that was during the long VR leveling when a VR1 set could easily still be viable at VR4/5.

But pre-50, what's the point? I'd see value in them if you could 'level' the gear (sort of like LoTRO's Legendary items, or FFXI/FFXIV gear progression methods) but if I were lucky to acquire the set I mentioned, by the time I'm 35 it'd be redundant.

Am I missing fundamental anything here?

Woolenthreads

No, you are not missing something fundamental.

There are some traits which only seem to appear consistently on dropped set items and not at random. I simply ignored whether they were set items for the most part and researched or deconned them as necessary.

Kragorn

Okay, thanks, I had just begun to wonder if there was some way to 'level up' gear I'd not found. I know what you mean about traits, I'm finding those I still need to get are now only appearing on set items with any degree of regularity.

Cheers.

Woolenthreads

Let me guess, "Impenetrable", "Divine" and "Training"?

I have characters with the researched traits. I'm bringing them together slowly on the one character. I have all of the wood and cloth on the one guy, just finishing off his blacksmithing. If you need something to research, just ask, I'll give you the same deal Nestor gave me 100/item.