Great post, spot on in all these questions. I do admire how constructive can you stay during all these moves; for me, and reading all the comments I'm definitely not alone, it is just frustrating at this point: we have an awesome game, a "new player experience" is taunted as the priority, and it seems almost every change seems to go the exact opposite direction.
-I'm very worried about our ability to attract and retain new players, to me this is the only essential factor to determining our success.
Do hope we have a REAL change of focus. I wouldn't mind a new mode at all, even though this one will unlikely do anything to atract new players; even so, I would see it with good eyes, more diversification is always better... but seeing as welcome the automation that nearly ruined the game (and in my opinion, keeps ruining it), is a straight NO from me.
Thank you for the compliment Pardinus!
I think its hard to know at this point whether or not the focus will change. I hope so of course. And I don't mind new modes, I don't even mind trying this one if its simply an experiment. But I do know that communication has to be better, objections need to be handled, and confidence built.
The team chose to take a detour from the main stated goal for 2024, and that might be fine. But given the past circumstances, I think its up to them to get people to buy in and not be surprised by the doubt. Having said that, I hope it succeeds if we are going to do it either way :)
With you on that one as well. Fingers crossed!