A person's perspective and preferences depend on what they want to do with the optic. That varies not only in application, but time also.
There have been so many improvements, but also fad things in scopes and other optics.
So much has changed, especially in glass acquisition and quality. Now, brand still matters, but not as much as it used to, considering that a previously thought lower tier manufacturer can make a high quality, expensive scope.
Gun preferences really determine taste and optic acquisition.
Forgive the dates if they are slightly off or if I forgot your favorite, but generally:
In the mid 90's, we are talking about large, 50mm Leupold Vari-X III and other heavy hunting scopes for heavy magnum rifles.
Availability is mail order or in store. Internet commerce is fledgling.
By late 90's early 2000's, optics for handgun hunting have better availability.
Nightforce NXS debuts
In the mid 2000's:
Many go to the store to test, but order online.
What optic for my AR? Trijicon ACOG (with a piggyback RMR) vs Aimpoint vs Eotech vs inexpensive chinese optics
Can't forget the magnifiers. How are you supposed to shoot 100 yards without a 3x? hahaha. I can solve that "problem" for $500.
Zeiss entering the American hunting market and making Leupold make a better scope
The quality increase of Bushnell; Burris (acquired by Beretta.)
Rangefinding scopes
By the late 2000's it's Aimpoint vs Eotech vs every manufacturer ever since literally everyone has a LED powered RDS.
The RDS battery life question finally dies. The answer is a bajillion hours if you leave it on in the corner for your HD AR.
The coming of age of Vortex not only competing but being a market force.
In the 20-teens:
Selling back Eotechs for another optic
Trijicon MRO vs Aimpoint
1-6X leapfrogs the fixed magnified + piggybacked micro RDS
Handgun slides milled for micro RDS's
Trijicon's patent on prism scopes expired - so now that segment increases
Monstrous scopes for your PRS rifle
That's without naming / placing these:
The conglomeration of which ownership group bought which optic company when and did their quality change?
The outright licensing of optics. It's literally the same or similar optic, just with different brand or slight changes.
Scout scopes
SWFA SS fixed
Side focus
Huge turrets
every recticle imaginable, including caliber specific that "work" to varying degrees
Illumination going from luxury to normal
SFP to FFP to SFP to FFP to SFP to FFP
Increased quality of the chinese RDS
The CNC manufacture of high quality mounts