Just a couple of observations...
The EU community is certainly an interesting one. Such a range of people and opinions. Star's post certainly represents one of the more extreme points-of-view, but at least it's an educated one, born of a large amount of experience of the game.
There are certainly a lot of people who view MA's recent actions with disgust, and from reading a forum it's very difficult to tell how many people are for and against.
I tend to view the issues more simply than that.
On the one hand, we have the new graphics. Long overdue, but it certainly brings EU a bit more up-to-date, and can now contend (graphically) with some of the newer MMO's coming along. This is a necessary update. It was not done to please the player-base.
Everything else, whether viewed by the individual positively or negatively are changes MA have felt necessary, and have done so in full knowledge certain people would be in uproar about it, and others would just get on with it, and maybe praise MA for it.
The changes themselves are kind-of irrelevant. I think the real issue is the way MA executed the changes.
I don't mean to generalise too much here, but consider this:
EU is based on a very tightly managed RCE where your assets in game have no guaranteed value over TT. When MA makes any change, the value of your assets, and your interest in the game itself can change dramatically.
If, after playing a long time, you see MA making these changes and they are affecting you negatively long-term, then it's about time you make some stern decisions about your playing style, and you re-evaluate the way you view MA as a company fit to run the game.
If you basically like the changes, you have trust in the company, and you believe they always act in the right manner, and you believe your investment is safe, then what do you have to worry about?
I personally do not like the power MA have over such a large and valuable economy and player base. I don't like the lack of interaction from the community. Even if MA were always looking to the best interests of their customers, and always acted with the best of intentions, I still like to have a bit more say in the way it's run... a bit like what we call a democracy.
I've grown to distrust MA's motives, and to me this VU confirms even more my original fears about the whole thing. I don't think they're acting against the player, I just think they are in it for themselves, which IMHO is almost as bad.
Whilst a lot of Star's post, and some of the other supporting opinions made me cringe, I can see that these people actually believe that MA is working to do the best for the game long-term. Maybe they think they know a bit more than the rest of us, but the underlying trust is there. They've obviously got past questioning what MA do and their motives, and are in a happy place. This is the most vulnerable position to be in, yet you face a lot less angst day-to-day, as you don't really have to question what's going on as much as the rest of us.
I have been in business, and have lived long enough to see enough successful companies screw the little guy. I see MANY things to suggest MA are in a similar position to do the same, and I believe they do on a regular basis!
MA have micro-managed the economy for a long time, and done so in such a way to make the rises in price less visible to most people. The whole game is engineered so people can't easily figure out what makes it tick. This is a huge strength, as it then largely relies on speculation as to what has changed underneath, how much it's costing, and how it'll affect us long-term.
MA give us what they give us, in their usual 'like it or lump-it' fashion. I guess the main problem boils down to whether you like this method of management, or you prefer something which actually involves the player a bit more.
I somehow doubt anyone will actually read through all this, but I guess it's my way of brain-dumping my thoughts on the real issue here.
), still my karma killer, in one missed shot, consumes whatever fee I pay for changing armour (and I don't change it, due to fee, point marked for MindArk).
