I'm 42. I tend to agree with you that I dislike over-specialised pieces. But then people are creative (which is the point of Lego, after all) and they use the thing for something else entirely.

I would like there to be a few good base sets. Luckily, there are, you just have to search to find them,

I'd really like to be able to buy blocks by the kg - 200 g of 2x1, 300 g of 2x4; etc.