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:smile54: and what makes you think that the main player drop happened because of the paid lobby?) ..

I spend a huge amount of time in the lobby (more than 500 games played for the local ranking and about the same without), and I clearly saw how, after the introduction of the fee, the number sharply decreased many times. Probably, it's just a coincidence ((.
But, in any case, the outflow happened a long time ago. Now everything is stable for many months. There are not many people, but they play. There is interest.

facts, damn it:D The vast majority of players I know, with whom I've been playing since the game's release, didn't switch because of 180 rubles a month,

I'll venture to suggest that you play with a rather limited circle of people, close to you in skill. And very few with lower-level players or beginners.

still, this amount can be seen as a problem, albeit a small one, for a small percentage of people. Yes, a pack of cigarettes costs almost as much:D For beginners, of course, the choice of whether to pay or not has a stronger influence. But most old players, I'm sure, didn't switch for this reason.

The answer to this was above. And I know what I'm talking about; I've been a moderator in the lobby chat for over a year, and many (because of the pink nickname) mistakenly take me for an admin (he has a red one), a judge (and probably for the Pope :-)). And they constantly unload their problems on me, complain about leavers, cheaters, bugs, payment problems, their brilliant ideas for changing the gameplay, and much more; some even try to confess. So I know the mood.

:.And even for many beginners, the paid/free aspect has less influence than what they see from streamers, who now mostly play HotA...

Partly that's true, for many... but not all.

Added after 39 minutes
LuckyF, by the way, since we're on the subject, I want to ask you.
What was the reason you switched to HotA?

I made my conclusions about the majority a long time ago; they are unlikely to change drastically:
1. HotA is free.
2. Easy start, large initial armies, no strong blocks, everything is simple and linear.
3. The game lasts less time.
4. There are many new pictures, arts, and the opportunity to farm hordes of various types of creatures.
But you are a top player with excellent strategic thinking!? I find it hard to understand.
1, 2, 4 don't fit.
3. - I think this is one of the reasons, but not the main one.
What else?
A large audience, donations?
Prizes from tournaments?
What else?
Are you tired of the Heroes gameplay with its nonlinearity?

In my opinion, strategically outplaying your opponent on the map or playing beautifully, and if you succeed, then pulling off a difficult situation, is a hundred times more valuable than overwhelming with meat, winning by luck, or by the opponent's mistake. I have always watched your streams of the 3rd Heroes (SoD) with great interest.

I forced myself to watch a few HotA streams from start to finish. Unfortunately, I wasn't interested at all.