Just noting that quite a few players are leaving. Some are really old school ones, like Nicoya, while others are players, I suppose. Anyway, I just thought I would observe that this is essence, really means that Spiral Knights as a game's changing. It's a much different game from when it started on, and as a result people are leaving. And there'll be new players coming in. The most obvious change would be the missions system has made the game a much friendlier experience, especially for F2P and new players. And P2P is more well catered to, because of the expansion missions. I don't really think the weapons are that OP, but that's for a different topic.

I'm just saying as the game changes, the customer base changes. OOOs is a company, and they'll cater to the demographics to form a customer base that is most profitable because that's how the company will survive (and raise capital for new games/content). If you feel that the changes aren't tailored for your benefit, then tragically, that just means you aren't the targeted demographic any more. Like anything dealing with changes, the options are to either adapt or move on. If the changes are changes that you can't adapt or accept, then you would leave (or take a long break). It's unfortunate, because that's simply the reality of life.

That said, I can't pretend that I particularly care how OOOs gets their pay, so long as the game survives and I can afford it. It might seem apathetic to some, but that's the truth. Frankly, they need more content like SL simply because it's a challenge and the costs make it way more risky, which personally, adds to the fun. The new expansion levels are actually more mundane in comparison, considering there's no risk to failing.