I've read what you and everyone else have said very carefully, but I am still not convinced this is for the benefit of the game. OK, I can concede that 20x was probably not a fair representation of what tech was worth, but the fact is that I and lot of other nations spent millions and millions of dollars in good faith that that was how the system worked. Those of us who were hit disproprtionately hard deserve to be compensated for that wasted money, not for any other reason.
I still think you are wrong to be scornful of that idriveavw.
As for yours and BFG's other arguments in favour of these changes:
1. Who are you guys to say we shouldn't focus on building NS? That was fun in itself. It is like a score, and it isn't easy to set up reliable tech trading partners in order to keep increasing it. It took me six months to get it right.
2. You are in any case wrong to say that building up NS counts for nothing - the ultimate reward would be a place on the top 100 map, which was my long-term goal. I knew that my entrpreneurial spirit would get me there in the end.
3. What's the big deal about the 10% infra upkeep reduction? Even if I had no reduction before, it would save me something like 160k a day. Not nothing, maybe, but hardly worth getting excited about when infra costs me 900,000 for 10 units!
4. How can you say that everybody agrees that the old system was deficient? Actually 52% of the people polled in this thread thing the tech changes suck! You guys are in fact in the minority.
5. I don't agree that the new rules drive people to make nations really stronger. The rule that you can only get five foreign aid slots (or six with a disaster relief agency) meant you couldn't solely focus on trading tech. I have always spent heavily on infra and land and worked hard in other ways to reduce my infra upkeep costs, increase my literacy rates, improve my environment rarting etc etc. The 10-day foreign aid rule was in my view a bit too restrictive, but it kept tech in its place.
6. When you say trading infra would be wrong because it would bring too much money into the game, who are you to say how the game should be played? It is fun to trade and wheel and deal. It is not cheating. I have never been interested in the military side of the game, although I wouldn't want the rules changed to undermine those who want to make war. I was delighted with the introduction of spies for instance. But these new rules have massively reduced the fun of playing the game in a way that was perhaps different to how you think it should be played.
I'm sorry but I haven't read anything to make me go back on what I wrote previously. I think this is a massive blow to the playability of the game and I think something has to be done to rebalance it again. Compensation and infra trading would be one way. No doubt there are others. But you guys are kidding yourselves if you think these changes have made the game more fun. Not only are they unfair, they have partially spoiled what was so cool about CN.
But do feel free to explain to me why I've got this all wrong. I want to believe you, but I doubt I will.
Sadly
V