dev1031 You are losing your main playerbase by making things too easy/fast/casual

[Abriael]

then ask yourself why they did that, if the game was such a win only with the "Hardcores"

Exactly. They did that precisely because hardcore gamers are *not* the main playerbase of any MMORPG anymore. It was the only way they had to retain decent customer numbers.

The funny thing is that I could be easily classified as quite a lot more hardcore than most of the ones complaining here that the game isn't designed around their demands. I play every day, several hours (sleeping very little helps).
The difference is that I realized long ago that I'm part of a small niche, and since I want the games I play to be successful (and a lot of people I play with), I'm quite willing to let it be more accessible to people that have less time/dedication than me.

Taste for being bad?

I'm afraid you got your definitions wrong mate. Having more time doesn't equate to being "good".
The only ones that think it does are the ones that aren't good at all, and have to replace the actual meaning of "good" with "have a ton of time to waste" in order to feel part of it