After my last post I took a break from this thread, and went back to focusing on making content for my line members (I also spent a good chunk of that camping N3 into 0-W). This far into the thread, the continued response is nice to see.

I have a feeling the CCP Rouge is laying the foundation for some big changes that will be announced at fanfest. My fear at this point, is that with the lack of expectation management and feedback, if the announcement isn't absolutely brilliant it will cause more damage than good to the community.

I guess we'll wait and see; Unfortunately for Dust an increasing number of our fellow players will do neither.

The irony here is that they're sort of damned if they do, damned if they don't at this point. At least, if they wait until Fanfest to deliver any real information.

I mean, if they announce some big changes at fanfest without having the content actually available for the people there to try out, who's going to be gullible enough to actually believe them considering their previous track record? On the other hand, if they wait until fanfest to announce anything, and it's just basic nuts and bolts of some more low level basic implementation of features of accessibility type stuff, they'll get hammered for not being ambitious enough.

The only way they can have a real impact at fanfest is if they actually have a bunch of content sitting on the backburner waiting to be revealed there. If they show up and say "here's what we're going to be doing in the next 3 months," and it's some big major changes and upgrades AND they already have a playable version for the people there to try out, then they'll get player's attention. However, if it's just more "pie in the sky" about their "long term goals" and their "10 year plan," no one is going to take them seriously.

hmm

[10:39:48] Samahiel : We're really worried on our side about Dust.
[10:40:57] Kane Spero: Our side being the Eve side?
[10:41:06] Samahiel : SPERG
[10:41:40] Samahiel : We're worried that a large portion of our remaining active players are motivated by the hope that all of this will one day mean something, and that if CCP doesn't communicate clear public plans at fan fest we'll drop below the critical mass of active players necessary to make playing this game bearable.
[10:42:14] Kane Spero: I hear that.
[...]
[10:42:44] Samahiel : The EVE side is pretty much convinced this game is done design wise, and will never be anything else.
[10:43:15] Kane Spero: Dust is far from being done in terms of its interaction with Eve.
[10:43:22] Samahiel : And that's the one's who aren't outright hostile and feel any integration would be dangerous to EVE.
[10:43:47] Samahiel : If I say that they'll say, "Prove It"
[10:43:52] Samahiel : and they wouldn't be wrong to ask.
[10:44:30] Kane Spero: Well, I unfortunately am not at liberty to "prove it"
[10:44:46] Kane Spero: One of the downsides to being a CPM
[...]
[10:45:47] Kane Spero: A clear and obtainable plan is something I've been professing to CCP that they need
[10:46:22] Kane Spero: Not pie-in-the-sky stuff designed to instill hope and not much more
[10:47:07] Samahiel : It's just galling that Para and I are sitting on top of what should be one of the largest most motivated blocks of players. People who bought merc packs, and aurum boosters, who wanted to believe in CCPs advertising. And all that has been squandered.
[10:48:11] Kane Spero: CCP realizes that they have ****** up I can say that much.
[10:48:58] Kane Spero: I do think that CCP Rogue is passionate and ambitious enough to take Dust into a good direction though
[GǪ]
[10:54:46] Kane Spero: I think one of the biggest issues is that a lot of the examinations have been what can Dust make for Eve so that Eve will care. It really needs to be what can Dust DO for Eve that would make Eve care.
[10:55:24] Samahiel : I think the biggest issue is dust doesn't make or do anything, and we've seen no plans that weren't markers on a whiteboard.
[10:56:21] Kane Spero: People keep thinking if PC made Eve resources that a lot of the issues would be solved, but what really needs to happen is to have Dusters themselves be a resource that Eve uses to accomplish a task.
[10:56:58] Kane Spero: A tool in the toolbox of Eve corporations if you will.
[10:56:59] Samahiel : which is fine, but low level design like this should have been theory crafter, nailed down, iterated on, published for comment, and implemented at launch.
[10:57:17] Kane Spero: Pretty much.
[10:57:18] Samahiel : and if they expect us to wait around for it, they need to make it clear they're moving in a direction.
[...]
[10:59:56] Samahiel : Anyway, If you could pass on our concerns I'd appreciate it.
[11:00:07] Kane Spero: Of course.
[11:03:59] Samahiel : once again, sorry to dump this on you.
[11:10:32] Kane Spero: No reason to apologize. This is one of the reasons I'm here: to hear the concerns of community members and convey them to CCP and incorporate those concerns into my own feedback and advice I give CCP

You really should stop necroing threads.