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Droppers are the best thing about modern MTBing!
No, wide, low-pressure tyres followed by disc brakes are the best thing about modern MTBing.
Then, I'd go with larges cassettes/low gears and then I'd go with suspension forks and maybe after all that I'd add droppers into the mix.
20 years ago I was riding a 26" rigid steel singlespeed with cutdown bars, vee brakes and a 2.3"(?) Tioga DH tyre up front for "suspension".
Modern bikes are like a smartphone vs. Nokia compared to what I used to ride.
SID "on par with the Fox 34 Step Cast, yet the SID is 150g lighter"
https://www.mbr.co.uk/reviews/forks/rockshox-sid-ultimate-review
hippy-
Low gears, suspension, disc brakes and wide tyres have all been around for over 20 years. My Dialled Bikes Prince Albert from 2007 had all the above and it was all pretty refined by then. It didn't have a dropper though and that has made a bigger difference to my riding than Boost, bigger wheels or any other modern changes
leggy_blonde
New 35mm SIDs if you're set on 120mm max travel. Stiffer and lighter than Fox 34s, Torque Cap compatible too.
Droppers are the best thing about modern MTBing!