It sounds like you are questioning yourself. For those who chose to do it, the point of the R-4 HM grind was to obtain a set of 340 gear in as quickly a manner as possible so they could fully clear R-4. For many, this was mission accomplished. For many others, the work continues. Everything has limited time value in an MMO. Everything is a time waster. Leveling up a legion of alts in Nathema in order to obtain multiple lockouts and farm one boss in R-4 for hours on end is something you choose to do. It is not something you are made to do. Upgrading gear to 336 supports player progression goals with respect to existing content. Meanwhile, there is no benefit to upgrading gear higher than 340 at all because the majority of content was designed to be beaten with an average item level that is much lower than 340. Gear of that level would serve no purpose. Do you understand that?

Until they add more difficult content to the game, there is probably no need to increase the item level ceiling over 340. It would unnecessarily trivialize a great deal of existing content.

Out of all 7.0 offered, loadouts and combat styles are features that did not fail. They have been widely embraced by players. So, what in the world are you talking about?

Uhm - besides cleanse, what utility do you imagine any scoundrels have that should put them at a lower dps than serenity shadows? Shadows who have 4 second stun built-in, have knockback, in-combat CC if they wish, can taunt/off-tank, cheese boss mechanics... Your list is arbitrary.

I would even go one further and say that despite its cheesy nature, the existence of the Dashroode cave method was a net positive for the game and helped sustain player engagement. It was something that kept people logging in every week, which is more than can be said for most activities. Together, Dash and Nefra made up a significant percentage of groups forming in the general chat. It was easily pugged, accompanied by a real incentive, and players looked forward to it every week. Just as importantly, it was one of the few things that was just within reach of guilds whose members had a wide skill range to accomplish together as a group that felt rewarding to everyone. Some even planned a weekly event for it, which will now be replaced by something awful like SM EV for the millionth time or nothing at all. That is a pretty sad thing, but it is absolutely true. Like it or hate it, unintended or not, Dashroode cave method was actually valuable group content and honestly what SWTOR should have more of. With this update, 7.0 lost one of the few things it had going for it and people just have one less thing to do when they hit 80, lol.

They are not merely stealthing around mobs though. In Traitor Amongst the Chiss, non-stealthers routinely climb up an invisible wall in order to run to the first boss checkpoint where all enemies reset. In Cademimu, almost every group uses the final boss room to reset and skip the trash before doubling back. In Ruins of Nul, people are avoiding almost the entirety of the second boss mechanics/adds by careful wall-hugging. There are so many other practices just like these. All of these things are of the same nature as Dashroode cave method in that they are manipulating encounters by capitalizing on the way enemies interact with specific terrain. If your objection to the Dashroode cave method is based on "it is a violation of the ToS" (although I do not believe that is the true reason) then you should be advocating for punishment for all of the above as well. "Full stop. Doesnt matter how big or small." Those are your words. You don't get to pick and choose what is an exploit or which behavior should be punished based on your own personal dislike. Meanwhile, to enact such a mass punishment for these years-old behaviors would destroy a years-old equilibrium in which Bioware probably tacitly accepts the game has some cheesing going on that is mostly unimpactful and is not worth decimating the game's population over. For the ones that ruffle feathers, they overlook its usage while patching it so it is no longer possible. It is a compromise. So really, your take on this is wholly unsophisticated and puerile. Be grateful they even patched the cave method at all. Stop allowing the comings and goings of others to rent space in your head and just move on with your life.

The notion that the people who used the cave method were otherwise not able to defeat the boss is a fallacy. I have personally witnessed a significant number of people starting or joining cave groups that who by their accounts were experienced raiders who had cleared the entirety of NiM SNV in the past. I have witnessed them doing it while stating that the cave method was just more convenient for them when including pugs. However, some raiders did condemn the cave method on the basis that it was awarding "unearned achievements." Meanwhile, many of them belonged to or led guilds that sold NiM boss kills to people. Talk about giving people unearned achievements...

The only people who were ever mad and upset on the cave matter are the people who didn't take advantage of the method while it lasted. The people who were farming Dashroode are content and are not the ones complaining or ranting on discords about it. The people who were complaining about the cave method this whole time are very much the same people who believe that Nefra should not drop Rakata gear. Some of these petty people have been so bothered by the availability of Rakata gear over the past month that they have even spent their game time joining Dashroode cave groups to taunt the boss and try to reset the encounter purposely. These are some very spiteful people who we should all feel a little sorry for. You aren't applying consistent principles, and you don't get to pick and choose -- not if you are taking a principled stance. People bypass content and skip nearly the entirety of some flashpoints (Nathema, Traitor Amongst the Chiss) through various methods of stealthing, reset-evading mobs, doing weird jumps over terrain. You will be hard pressed to find people who haven't done this. No one is punished, nor should they be.

No one is worried about what will happen -- that is purely wishful thinking on your part. As the OP stated, everyone else is openly laughing off the matter because of how much of a non-issue it is. No one is facing any music, paying any dues, or dealing with any consequences, and there is no evidence that they will in the future either.

The old inventory was way too cramped so I prefer the new one.

While useful to be aware of, this is of very low importance.

Does this still happen to anyone?

Guardian/Warrior is the one tanking class that is almost perfect as it is. These changes are very disheartening. It's the other classes that need work.