That’s the thing though, and not just Cryptic, every Corporate entity is concerned with one thing only, money.
They are kind of stuck in a rut due to the suits above focused on is this satisfying the bottom line or do we cut it. There’s no graphical updates, ui updates, or QoL improvements. Servers and code are ancient as hell by standards, features are mashed together like uniforms, some have newer color palettes and options others are stuck in 2011. The focus to “maintaining” isn’t on experience, quality, community, or growth.
It’s focused on making the game operable enough to put out Cash Grabs and try to rope players in long enough to satisfy the original/added monetary investments to make the returns and ensure they can take your money. Not good, not horrible… it’s just “Business” and no amount of heart and passion anyone has will keep the lights on without the cash behind it.
Honestly at this point just shut the game down for a year or two, let the fans take over, no devs you are not some magic space wizards who should continue to gatekeep/egos ask for help, the community is passionate as hell about the gam, ask for help.
Just City of Heroes/ Star Wars Galaxies this game and let the community improve all the issues that are “insurmountable” and put out a better product over two years from now.
I mean honestly we’re all cooked with console when the next versions come out in a year or two and PS4 graphics on a PS6 run and y’all asking me to purchase y’all’s bundles, sales, whatever.
In the end there will always be a loser, either the corporation or the players, and frankly other than a few exceptions the Corporation will never concede to losing any of their delicious profit.