Hell Batu, even going oldschool and having stuff like Marc Silk Robe/Coat, Beret/Poo Hat, Thara can help a freaking ton, you don't need BG gears to WoE well on the server. BG gears are great though, and should be considered if you plan to play super competitively.
Retro WoE I feel is actually harder to setup for in the long run, because when you first join a server, you probably plan to have the character go trans (exceptions of course to SG, SL, GS, Ninja, and SN). So retro WoE almost is something meant to vets to enjoy to begin with. xD