Whats up with non-max weapons?

I've been thinking for a while about damage on weapons, and I seem to be at a loss for words at times. I remember playing through the game my first time (release day and on), and before I even got to Yak's Bend (fighting my way there alone, actually), I found a 14-20dmg sword. It was an averave damage for then, and I used it until I bought a max damage sword from a friend for 400gp. I could have used the non-max sword, but I had access to a "better" one, and used it.

After a while I accumulated a quite a bit of money, and my weapons became more of a design that I liked. While farming, I would come across these horrid damage weapons from high-level areas (Griffons, Flesh Golems, FoW, SF, UW). I'm not talking about a 15-21 gold. I'm talking about a 13-18 white req11. WHY are these weapons dropping? If I am in an area like Fissure or Underworld (supposed to be high-level only areas that test teams), I will more than likely have a max damage weapon.

I realise that most people don't have a ton of gold, but anyone can acquire a white, max damage weapon, or can find one with a surprising amount of ease (collectors, crafters, friends, etc...).

Maybe I'm just in a bad mood, but going into the "hardest" areas, it is depressing to find a weapon with the same damage that I found off of a lvl11 enemy back when I was a lvl10. Does anyone else feel that dmg is moot, and in the later stages, non-max weapons are completely and utterly useless?

Very much agreed, I think the damage on weapons should increase far less gradually as you progress through areas, and areas such as Fissure of Woe, Underworld, Sorrow's Furnace should have far better drops, it would help deflate prices, and put more money into the average player's pocket.

Yeah, I know I for one get really pissed off as I run through the last missions in the game, through SF, FoW, or the UW, and I get a weapon that's worse than any of the desert ones, or even some that dropped for me in Kryta! I can mention several occasions having gone through FoW, and the UW, where I'd come out with a single white, non-max piece of shit weapon I could've gotten (with a lower requirement) in Sanctum Cay, along with some glittering dust.

Oh joy.

Perhaps it isn't about the weapon, but about resources...if you reclaim the raw materials from these crappy weapons, you can save a bunch or sell a bunch of wood planks and such...then, you see, you won't have to use the vendors for armor bits (paying a premium)....besides, you can id some of the worthless drops and make a bit more gold selling them back to vendors. Either way, useless drops have their uses...It makes getting the special drops all that much more special...like the gold 12-18 fiery axe of plantslaying...tremendous weapon....absolutely fabulous....especially when salvage presents you with the plant slaying mod...oh, joy.

its how you keep a game balanced.

You want l337 items? You can trade for em in diablo II for 200 SOJ a piece

Anet must have a sense of humor because, in advanced areas, I'll get such items that aren't worth anything ... then I salvage them to yield materials that aren't even worth as much as the original item. Doesn't happen always, but it happens often enough. I feel like it's their way of "nickle and dimeing" my fortunes away.