It does not. DPS matters more now than it used to. It's not forcing, it's coercing. No one's sitting there with a gun to the player's head but just look at all the blademasters, sins, and whatever other class got 3rd spec bc I'm not keeping up. I know for a fact all the BMs I've met, ALL the sins I've met, have gone 3rd spec. This game long lost it's "play the class because you enjoy it" motto. Your idealized version of BNS does not exist anywhere but in your head.
That's because the toxic player base only looks at the dps meter. The game makes you look at that meter, from the day you started playing. Why would a whale feel the need to swipe, why would someone feel the need to gear up? Because big numbers look good and make them feel good. I wonder what the "people" youre referring to, would do as well.