I don't need things to be casual, just not insultingly wasting everyone's time if it's "just a game". If you're going to build a game around a deep story in a game, you have to address the mechanics with that in mind but also with respect to it's existence in the world.
Ok so you make it so in the world there's magical stones that store your soul and can recreate your body, but not items. Ok well, clearly there's going to be services and towns that build up around these things. If there's a world population of 85% "adventurers" dying in combat to save your village, it's not realistic that randomly a naked dude shows up at your magic stone and the villagers just stare and then get has to go off into the dungeon again alone.
If you just want to make a game and make a bind point because that's a mechanic games have, then putting in loot drops or anything else is just mechanics and if it's a waste of time it's a waste of time.
Either you make an (mmo)RPG, or you make an MMO with character mechanics and a theme. That's the difference.