Yea I kind of noticed that too.... (granted I haven't played either of those two games.)
Though there are always those few boss drops that are rarer than others sometimes.
Then there is the Unique Equipment (that are incredibly hard to get)
http://elwiki.net/w/Unique_EquipmentAs well as those accessories and stuff that are rare (like the Mana Concentration Necklace, and Acceleration Ring) that you get from cubes which are rare.
Oh and don't get me STARTED on the Ice Burner costumes which are some of the best costumes in the game (though each set are only released for certain periods of time, and some can no longer be acquired), yet you can only get from having Ice Burners which you get through the some special events, and the cash shop (even then when using an ice burner to melt the items to get the gear, there are high chances that you'll get OTHER items like measly magic stones.)
I have yet to get a single Ice Burner costume piece at all...
I really want the Shadow Incubus set for Chung and Raven... I really do... I REALLY do... Granted you could by those in the marketplace when the occasional player can be selling them... for hundreds of millions of in-game money... which is REALLY HARD TO GET TO UNLESS YOU GRIND THROUGH DUNGEONS LIKE CRAZY!!!