Yes but in speaking about class abilities and balance they are inherently addressing the fact the the gear is part of that equation. The gear for warlocks is built the way that it is to reduce the possibility of builds that pair armor perks with abilities to such a devastating effect as to make them too OP. I agree with you that the gear seems lackluster at first glance. I remember feeling the same way you did when I looked up available armor for locks. But then I started to think how to couple them with the right abilities and they are actually really powerful combos available. The trick is to find these combos. That is what gear selection is all about. Gear that simply stands alone on its own is actually worse then a piece that works in symphony with your class build. In actuality some of the best perks are not the exotic perks but the common ones that reduce cooldowns. Couple these with certain exotic armor perks and they become extremely potent.