I read some of those steam reviews and they sound a little unhinged. To me this sounds like a problem of boundaries. People sometimes think that playing AH and really really liking AH means they have a right to control what happens with the game. The fact is that paying a few thousand dollars in subscription fees over several years does not equal creating and maintaining this game. I don't think it requires much In the way of perception to realize how UNIQUE this game is and I personally have a hard time imagining that it is that lucrative to run compared to the amount of effort involved given the skills required.
The path to hell is paved with players desires to improve the game. Every peanut in this gallery has a MASTER PLAN that they feel free to bloviate on and that is all well and good. The mistake that a small number of people make is in thinking their enthusiasm entitles them to something bigger than merely the right to play the game, they begin to confuse use with ownership. For a still smaller number that confusion apparently leads to tantrums. It really is a shame but I think it is just part of human nature.
There is nothing wrong with leaving a "Meh" review or being critical about things you don't like about the game however, the level of aggrievement that some people express is indicative of a level of emotional engagement that isn't really appropriate. It says something, I think, about the dark side of a game that enables you to experience flight, that primal desire, so well. Combined with the satisfaction of another primal drive, that of hunting or even killing, playing this game must do SOMETHING in the area of brain chemistry that can make it consuming to a degree that isn't entirely healthy for some individuals' emotional well being.
It is a little tragic in a way and while it is easy enough to say "GO OUTSIDE FOR GODS SAKE!" from the outside, I have seen at least one apparently well adjusted player who clearly had difficulty regulating his game play and had to give up this game which he clearly loved.
So I guess I'm saying that I am not surprised to see slightly kooky snarling from some players ex or current, and my advice to them is to try to get a hold of themselves.
