I keep returning to mess around with this game, but even with so many combinations in each AT, there are really only a very few combinations that work with an end game tailored now to a specific meta. Is it because developers now create through polling (which is catering to meta chasers) and no longer objectively making decisions for the betterment of the game itself?
Why has Mercenary's sucked since 2005, which is inside of an entire AT that doesn't fit into the 'end game' anyway? Just a general question, and not directed at the current dev team, because this has been ongoing since this game was released. It just makes me ponder why development time was spent on things no developer cared to ever revisit? We get years of new content that only a select few AT combinations can effectively partake in, because certain game mechanics became outright obsolete for decades. It's a reality in many games, but also baffling to me, because it's effectively content for a specific fraction of the player base.
It's frustrating to be sure, because the end result is that I return after 300+ days played, and still find out that my favorite concepts in theory are still largely unplayable post 50, be it effectively or stylistically vs the meta. I'm a victim of always being most interested in unique and complex playstyles, and mmorpgs rarely reward me for it. I'm a druid on Classic wow being told I can't play the game I want to play. I'm a Mastermind being told I can't play the game how I want to play it. I'm a Controller being told I can't play the game how I want to play it.
When I am told to play 3 or so things out of dozens of options, I can't help but only see a very broken game. In the mean time, it's the usual, "*sigh*, I guess I'll play the usual power combination 99% of the player base tells me to play, because it's a waste of my time otherwise". It just seems to me that the value of new content increases dramatically when more of the game that even allows an end game to exist, supports that end game. Alt-itis drives this game, yet it's constantly stifled by limited effective options. Love the passion that brings these old games back, but perhaps a "refocus" is in order so that the game is healthier and not just larger. This is a thought experiment, more than a critique. Don't judge me too harshly for bring these things up.