[2019] Bungie, because you continually fail to understand this, let it be reiterated: "No one will remember your game for being balanced. It will be remembered for being fun."

Enhancement cores is another example in a long line of poor decisions: Slower super regen, double primaries, etc. You can make this game "grind-e" and "hard" but not by implementing stuff that makes the game boring. People want their loot without being punished for wanting to keep it. Make craftable perks, tier masterworks where really good perks unlock by doing hard things, continue to make some* guns hard to obtain. This is a loot game. Stop punishing people for wanting their loot. You can provide a reasonable barrier without making the game a chore. The gameplay is amazing, you have the hardest part down. You can make the game hard and also fun. You can implement real grind, BUT you have to concede the power/strength of the items we get. Cannot have it both ways.

Edit:My line of thinking for masterworking: If you want the enhancement cores to be rare, offer true unique and good perks that make it worthwhile and take it out of infusion. For example, lets say we have a set of armor that we love and want to start grinding for an armor perk that stuns all enemies around us when we are at critical health (cooldown of course) to craft this perk and apply it directly to the armor that we like: you could implement (x amount of enhancement cores, x amount of materials, etc.) The issue of enhancement cores is tied directly to infusion and the little benefits of masterworking in the first place. This would mitigate both because we can craft our own unique set with unique perks the way we like it. And you can justify the lower drop rates because the perks would be an end game grind.