(image stolen from reddit)
I get that there have been hackers who have exploited the shared camera memories to glitch through whole realms at a time (they aren't even efficient - an in game friend who was carrying me used them a few times, and you have to repeat each at least 3 times to get all the candles lit, it's without a doubt faster to just run it), but surely they can tell the difference between those and the ones that just open a door, and address the hackers' "exploits" without removing a feature that they created and enabled and have allowed to exist for so long it has become essential to solo players.
The fact that they've removed the camera memories but not the chibi fall tells you they're not actually bothered at all about players taking shortcuts, as long as they've spent currency to be able to do it, and as long as it doesn't help others who you aren't carrying or who don't happen to have the mask/spell/will to be tiny.
So this is entirely about removing community driven support that exclusively helps solo players make the grind a teeny tiny bit easier, at zero cost or harm to TGC (the 5-30 minutes you have to wait for other players to help literally gains them nothing), and when there are numerous and frequent game breaking bugs and issues that they aren't addressing because they're not accidentally making playing easier.
My biggest takeaway from TGC's behaviour is that I'm so fucking glad I never gave them any money, and it ensures that I never will, because if I had, I'd be so upset at how they function (or don't) it might have been enough for me to quit completely.
Vent over
Haha, believe me, if I could share my over thinking (and it's occasional positive results), I would! ๐
I think of all the purchases you mention, the only one I might have been tempted by is the Aurora cape, but more for how it looks than what it does (going to a 9000+ people concert during anniversary was really cool, but then also seeing it with like 300 people, I can absolutely see what you mean about it being eerie), but I can see why you bought them in the first place, they all offer access to limited areas, which is a big temptation! I recently saw the days of love IAP cape I think it was, and I would have had to make a conscious effort not to buy that (I can't help it, I like transparent and glittery things lol, also the cat hood/mask I think from days of mischief?).
I'm almost glad I found out about TGC's attitudes relatively early on in my return to the game, it really does help as a deterrent lol