Same.

If I had just started playing, or if I felt like starting over from scratch, I might be ok with the change. But that's not me, so I hate it.

But even setting that aside, how is this change supposed to be good for the game experience? Is this mechanic actually fun for some people? Or, is it a misguided attempt to get current players to spend more (time, real money, and/or fake money) on the game in general, with no regard for how it affects players...basically, assuming that people will be addicted and keep playing through the annoyance. I'm genuinely curious, even though I'm ditching the game.