Would you prefer this game to be based on player skill instead of random events?

This argument is silly.

It is random, but you are capable of stacking the deck.

"

1. Monster damage, e.g. crits one-shotting you

You can stack the odds through stacking evasion, and selecting the right nodes. Also bosses seriously telegraph their attacks, so you can manually (through skill) avoid their main attacks.

"

2. Defenses: block, (spell-)dodge, evasion

all of these the odds can be improved upon through gearing and skill nodes. YES, it is random, but you can stack the odds.

"

3. Your own damage

This is like #3, but you completely influence this through skill rotation, weapon selection, character build, and gems/support arrangement

"

4. Item drops

This is intended to be mainly random, it is not a MMO. You can still stack the odds by wearing IIR gear and rolling your maps correctly.

"

5. Crafting

You're not doing it right.

6. Passive tree, With the addition of jewels
I don't see how this is random. Toss some alts/augs at the jewel and then use a regal when you get the right combos. This is really simple, additionally there are plenty of guaranteed uniques available upon playthrough. Besides the entire game can be played without ever using jewels.

"

7. Access to endgame content (is there any other major game out there which is gating content behind RNG?)

No. Other ARPGs do not have the same type of end-game. You play through the game, beat the last boss on the hardest difficulty and that is end-game.

"

8. The so-called challenges in warbands/tempest are either mindless grinds or based on luck

QQ

TL:DNR
Work is hard, especially for people with an exaggerated sense of entitlement.