[jplusequalt]

>using indices instead of pointers which are counter to high performance

Laughs in graphics programmer. You end up using indices to track data in buffers all the time when working with graphics APIs.

[int_19h]

I'm not disputing that there are circumstances in which indices are as good or even better.

At the same time, if using indices was universally better, then we'd just use indices everywhere, and low-level PLs like Rust would be designed around that from the get go. We don't do that for good reasons.