Dear BB devs,
For every small step you go forward and add new shiny things ppl can spend their money on and change this and that, you make 3 steps backward when it comes to real basic things like map design, especially on home island.
1. Map elements cannot be removed anymore
2. Literally thin air blocking building space
These issues (especially #2, older posts about the same issue dating back several months from now) have been adressed a few times now. People have been asking for a workaround. The current decisions for building placement are everything else but smart. We need more building space, many players are willing to buy more licences to build more things - yet you decide to take building space away bit by bit! That doesn't even make sense! I'd really like to know why these changes are going live, respectively are not being fixed properly.
In general, I'm really disappointed how feedback is handled and that there is hardly any dev comment on this or other issues either. We get the occasional response - supposedly due to limited resources - other than that we are left in the dark and/or have to wait for patch notes to find out.
I have been in hundreds of alpha and beta stages, as well as early access for almost 20 years now, (stress) testing different games from different developers, small and huge studios, helping out to improve things, to discuss things, etc. What I have experienced here so far is not an isolated case - there are quite a bunch of studios who acted the same in the past. Changing things despite negative feedback, despite what players wanted, turning away from communication channels, neglecting suggestions/feedback forums, etc.
There is nothing wrong with keeping information locked away until patches hit the test server, there is nothing wrong with being shy and cautious about what is shared with the community. But it is not ok to treat those with silence who spend their free time to test your stuff and make suggestions - you do realize those players are the very dedicated core of this community?
You disagree with certain feedback? Explain why. You want to change things despite players not agreeing with you? Explain why. You are not happy with feedback? Let us know what is bothering you. Do you even want the community to be part of this process? If yes, show that you are willing to listen - if not, just shut down the test servers and do whatever you feel like. But please stop getting our hopes up and lure us into this "maybe someone reads this and it will be fixed someday" [rubbish] because it really is not cool to be at the receiving end.
You need to start communicating more frequently and more honest with the player base or you will have to shut down the servers in a few years because no one is willing to put up with this any longer. People will get impatient and stop giving feedback (sadly some already did), until they reach the point where they simply leave. If this is what you want, please continue your current course.
Please keep your language PEGI-7 appropriate.