Truthfully, the game has not regressed at all. Still going strong at the 10 year mark. Moreover, the teams that are involved with the story, for instance the third story ark. Aim for new players, seasoned veterans, and everyone in between to have access to this new content right from the get. I forget what U# came out to have dev abilities granted to the player. However, despite my attitude at the time and asking myself "why"! I fully understand now. They are trying make things better for the "new player" while catering to the veteran. Additionally, keeping with the pace of the gaming industry as a whole.