Hello everyone, I'm not entirely sure where I'm going with this thread, but I think I also needed to get some things off my chest about the current situation. Maybe this will get lost in the depths of Spectrum. So be it. First of all, a little background on my relationship with Star Citizen and CIG. I fell in love with the project when I saw the 2012 IGN trailer, and immediately pledged through Kickstarter. I founded a community of more than 70 people around this game, which I still manage today, with a great deal of care and passion. I've physically attended two CitizenCons, several Bar Citizens, spent a few years streaming Star Citizen exclusively, and have invested a five-figure sum in the project because I've always believed in it, and I still do today. (I'm fortunate enough to have a job that allows me to do so.) To me, this game and its ambition represent the ultimate experience I want to have behind my screen with my friends. I'm a sci-fi fan, an MMO fan, and a sandbox fan. No other game has immersed me as deeply as Star Citizen. I've grown up alongside this project (I'm now 34), and if there's one game I keep coming back to, it's this one. I believe in its potential and in the talented developers who are carrying it on their shoulders. You are my heroes. And thank you to the content creators who continue to share their passion through the many things you bring to the community. But, yes, there is a but. What is happening right now feels like a stab in the back. And if there were only one... F8, F7A, Blade, Super Heavy Armor, Ikti... Why? I read the FAQ for the latest bundle, and I genuinely couldn't believe my eyes when I read the justification. Nobody asked for this. Nobody. And the idea that you believe this was a community request, supposedly to "secure" this asset, is complete nonsense. I fully understand that a project like this needs liquidity. That if we want to see it reach the finish line, sales are what will make that possible. But please, do you genuinely believe that a few million more dollars are worth the damage you're doing to your players' trust? Can't you see that this is a short-term vision? Selling ships is something most people have accepted. But putting absolutely everything in the pledge store, overriding the rewards and effort associated with actually playing the game, is a massive mistake. And you keep doing it, month after month, year after year, eroding the support of your most loyal backers. And I'm not even talking about the wider audience, who are probably rubbing their hands together at the prospect of this becoming the norm. The IKTI was the only thing that could be obtained in-game, through that damn Wikelo, admittedly, but there was still an effort involved and a reward to earn. Now anyone can buy this overpowered IKTI for a price that, frankly, is unreasonable. Without even giving people the option to purchase one of the skins separately from the rest... The vehicle itself isn't even the real problem. It's the message you're sending. You had the opportunity to make the Super Heavy something players could earn exclusively through SOO. You chose to sell it instead. The F8 could have been a Squadron reward (perhaps with a challenge attached). You chose to sell it instead. Everything has become a product to put on the store. Your artists do remarkable work, and you undermine it through the way you use their creations for marketing purposes. And this year, I'm not even going to get into the lack of community-focused content. I genuinely wonder why I'm still paying for a subscription. At a time when there is an urgent need to reassure your player base and show us where your priorities lie, you seem to be choosing ambiguity instead. No communication. No updates. Complete silence. Yet when it comes to sales, communication is loud and relentless. Those who truly care about this project would rather see you shut down the servers 1,000 times over, implement all the features that need to be added, and let us occasionally test what's new, even if it's broken. We wouldn't care. That would be preferable to slowly trying to keep a sick LIVE environment alive, one that is struggling to climb the mountain ahead of it while carrying the enormous weight it already bears. I could say so much more, but I'll finish with this: Despite everything, I'm an eternal optimist. I believe in the talent within this company. But it's time to wake up and start respecting your players. And that certainly won't happen by constantly asking them to open their wallets while trampling on promises you made in the past. Dhaenerim