So, I am actually thankful for these changes. They have made me reevaluate where my time is best spent--focusing on Anguish clears and finishing 5.5s. Unless you're at the gear ceiling and are tired of farming essences for the next big thing, there are too many better things that Hunter has created for you to do with your time on EZ, in my opinion.
It's a catch 22. With the addition of ROA past 100 and the new use of unused AA's, it is now almost mandatory to get one, lest you let your unused aa's go to waste. The longer you are without a roa 100 the more and more you lose out on it's potential benefits.
That's the big reason for people scrambling to complete their ring. For min/maxers who want to maximize their time, going without an ROA is not an option. It has definitely become a "milestone" item now, which isn't necessarily a bad thing.