There are usually about 950..1250 players in the dungeons at the times that I usually play (determined by counting up the totals for all 4 gates). It has now dropped down to about 591. Therefore maybe these complaints on these forums about disliking many of the new changes is already having a significant impact.
Based on my experience with other games, the results are actually CONSIDERABLY worse than they appear above. Normally, after a popular (Auction House 1st becoming available) update or major event, player numbers increase considerably, e.g. easily doubling or tripling.
So, instead of player numbers doubling, they have almost halved. I have not taken account of players using the auction house, which might explain some of the player number reduction, but I doubt it.
Out of about every 100 posts recently (related to the new update), about 99 are "Fail/Mistake/Oops/Noooo/Eeeeek/Hate", the other 1% are usually that OOO need to make money.
I'm hoping there will be a major revision/reversal of most/all of these unpleasant changes (to ALL players, paying and free), and maybe a nice event to repair some of the damage to the player base confidence and moral.
As a side note, I don't like games which suddenly and without warning, make major and dramatic changes, especially such detrimental ones.
Even the Auction House (which was hugely wanted by most players), charges soooo much to list, and 10% sales fees, that if it wasn't for all the other complaints, would probably be criticized heavily as well.
Eh.. everyone on my list is in Haven at the AH refreshing pages instead of gates so you're right the number of players in gates has dropped but I wouldn't say it is gloom and doom.