the game from my view point, started to drop off around the time when somebody posted his forage bot results(I believe it was a cupboard full of bluebells) that could had been coincidence but who knows.
for me personally, the game has been going down hill ever since the new LP change.
I hope that the game will be back in it's "glory days" when the devs are able:
1. have an official client, and allow no player made clients
2. bring back the perma in this perma-death game
3. do something about the "alt-army" menace
4. fix/remove botting
of course this is a Rather lofty/tall goal. But if they could. . .