When I started playing in 2008, the game and the playerbase was growing in leaps and bounds. The game expansions were big and released about 6 to 9 months apart. That allowed players time to acclimate themselves to the changes and if needed, rebound / recoup from those changes if they got negatively hit.
I think it was around 2012 when CCP started releasing expansions on shorter time intervals. I think that’s basically when player numbers started to drop. As time went on, the game patch / expansion release intervals have become shorter and shorter to where now things are being changed on a weekly basis. Hell, for a while now I’ve been noticing the Launcher seems to download a new patch almost everyday.
I think the fact that CCP constantly keeps changing everything is one of the major reasons for the loss of players. Whether you agree or not, most people like things to be somewhat stable so they can make various plans and follow through with those plans.
However when things are constantly being changed, sometimes just for the sake of change, you can’t really set up a game plan and follow it through to completion. That basically stops you from advancing in that intended plan so you refocus your attention onto something else, make a new plan and start following it. Then lo and behold CCP turns around and does a bunch more changes, thus making your new game plan obsolete.
And as that cycle continues happening, it get’s to the point where people start thinking this game is a futile endeavor, a complete waste of time. They start off taking little breaks, log in less and less to where eventually they just stop playing. Meanwhile CCP continues changing old stuff while adding some new stuff that they sensationalize to bring in new players. And because of the constant changes, it’s a lot easier for new players with little time invested to walk away from the game compared to older players who hang on hoping for positive game developments. However over time due to various changes, the older players have also been slowly leaving the game as well. It’s no wonder the player count is bleeding out.
I think going back to big expansions done on longer time intervals would help retain players. More time invested in the game before being adversely affected by new changes makes new players less willing to walk away. Also having more time between game changes allows all players time to acclimate to the new changes and if needed, bounce back and re-establish themselves from those changes.