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1- It's not unfair to put it that way, because there's a difference between a "re-skin" of a unit or trying to use, rework stats and implement unused abilities/units which are already in the game versus trying to invent a new mechanic or inherently fix something which hasn't been done in 8 years.
Things get done when at least some proof of concept and execution is already in the game.
Howis
2- In YOUR eyes it's fair. Probable on many other eyes and maybe Relic (we can only speculate here) limiting units is not necessary or desirable, specially for niche units. You are not solving artillery spam on teamgames by just limiting Howitzers to 1. Rocket artillery exist. Static Howitzers can also be easily decrewed and bypass any 1 time limit.
3- Raid section see response 1
Recent last call changes
4- Which was a bad call in their part, as it looks like a band aid at most.
5- In regards to that voting discord pic, this is my opinion.
If anything, that shows that team game "casual" perspective can take precedent over mostly 1v1/2v2 opinions.
Imo, from personal feeling, dev team do tend to make better changes then Relic back in the days. Their changes are for sure closer to the reality, then Relic ones, but overall aproach is still the same. And if anything goes wrong its "scope, not a full time job, relic forbits". Maybe its not like this and I'm completly wrong, but it sure looks like it.
I feel like people on this community throughout the last years have been privileged in how much their input can be heard and implement to the point people feel way too much entitled and arrogant as far as when things don't go their way or feel like they aren't heard or responded to. At points, it feels like they don't play any other PvP game which requires fine tuning balance at all. Good luck having this kind of interactions at all. Or even an explanation as to why X or Y was done at all (at least my xp from other games which big enough that bureaucracy is a thing)
We are entitled to our own opinions, enjoyment or disappointment in regarding to the patch or game. Anything else is extra.
No wonder best we can have is forum discussions, which btw rarely even have a disscussions in them, since the fanboy\rant threads tend to be much more popular and collect 100+ messages, while constructive threads do not.
It's simple. The admins/owner philosophy is that anyone should had a voice therefore the balance section was nicknamed the "Latrine". You can't give everyone a voice and expect to have a constructive thread when there's so much gap in game knowledge between users.
Which in turn lead to the creation of either private steam groups or in this days Discord. Which, yes, this is counter productive to been transparent but from a pragmatic point of view more effective. And it's not like it's such a selective "exclusive" group. The invitation hand has been extended throughout the years to those who have help or willing to help, open minded and don't have a crystal ego that will make them mald at their first clash of opinions.