1) I do not begrudge the developers for making money. If they do not build in advantages for paying players and studios, they are not doing their job.
2) Abusement Park has three or four generous diamond donors. The vast majority of our studio is free players. We are proud of our achievements, too - but we are realistic about what can be done with, and without, diamonds. Doubles and cakes are not unethical... they are just expensive.
3) Do get me wrong, I don't begrudge Hardcore or Striped Pantsu the fact that they have collected a group of good high level players. I DO begrudge that the game design means no one else will ever be able to catch them, because being able to sit on a full suite of energy trophies sets up a positive, runaway feedback effect. It's simply bad game design to allow such an effect. Full stop.
4) I never even said UK1 is dead. Nor did I ever say, anywhere, that being first on the challenge board is the only way to define a successful studio. I said the situation on UK1 is BORING, and i think that a fair criticism. I think it is simply crazy to say that everyone should find other reasons to enjoy the game, and to ignore the built-in score-keeping mechanism.
5) Cooperation is doomed by the first studio to backstab others, and thereby take a commanding advantage. That in turn means they can set up there own positive feedback loop. For that reason, I again state that the ability to MAKE a positive feedback loop is the real problem.
=Cap