It really does seem a pity. Perhaps the very same set of forces that contributed to HiTech identifying a need for arena caps is affecting the subscriber community as a whole. Perhaps the community has reached a saturation point and is becoming as a result unhealthy. I feel that I have witnessed this decline in recent years and everyone pointed a finger at the arena and perhaps hoped that CAPs would fix it. I feel that the problems perceived in the arena was just a symptom of a much larger issue. That one day might cause the demise of AH.
I base this on a gut feeling and recent readings of posts on the BBS. Some seem so mean spirited and most, not all, seem to degrade into personal attacks. Have to ask ourselves why? My own personal opinion is a lack of common bond. I find less members interested in sharing factual information and more interested in appearing superior to other members.
Side loyalty no longer exists except as demonstrated by a declining number of squads. I think that the ability to change sides at will has degraded the game and the community. But that ability was implemented to allow better game play and I understand that, however, my opinion of the lack of side loyalty is demonstrated daily by the number of player that remain tower bound while at work or sleeping even though they know that their AFK presents hurts their sides ENY calculation. But they do it because they can and they don’t care. No side loyalty because when they return, they may just go back to being a Knight or Rook or Bishop , which ever they feel like playing on today.
CAPs hurt the game, they are not currently being calculated correctly because everyone in the arena is counted and there are many that are persistent AFK in a tower , thus the calculation for CAPs and ENY is skewed but members don’t care, no side loyalty, they don’t care if the next guy in the game has a fun time. They just care about “Me” after all according to TV, they are the “Me Generation”. Perhaps the community has reached an unhealthy saturation point of the “Me Generation” .
I think the only thing that we can do is be a lot more respecful. Rmember back when you were 4 yo and mom took you to the park to play in the sand box with the other 4 year olds. Her words were a life lesson.
Be good, share, play nice and don't throw sand.