Players have always stayed back in ages to build up gb's, players have always stayed behind for the recurring quests and those two types of players have always built up fp's packages along the way yet fp packages only became a problem recently and the only change in that time was the Arc and players power leveling them so I can't imagine it being anything other than that.
That's some astute analysis, Joe. I am one of those players focussing on the recurring quests. I have "stayed behind" and become strong, advancing all of my Great Buildings — especially Château Frontenac, which is now at Level 22.
I think InnoGames has ruined their game with the Arc. They are trying to fix that problem without driving away players, but they will not succeed.
Forge of Empires is much like the real society of the United States in that 90% of the wealth is owned by 1% of the active players. The Arc is a disaster because it allows rich players to become filthy rich, while the poor get trampled even further. It's like a massive subsidy for Wall Street bankers. Think about how well that's working out for creating a healthy society in the real world.
InnoGames will not nerf the Arc because that would probably alienate many of the 1% (many of whom are high spenders). So instead, InnoGames will experiment with changes that anger the 99%.
Anwar Dalati understood that the success of the game depended primarily on making it very attractive and fun to play for free. He understood that you build a thriving society from the bottom up. The current managers of the game don't seem to grasp that truth. They seem to think that success comes from catering to the rich.