I like the "instantly"part of your complaint. Anyone spending money still has to do a huge amount of work to get a strong city. The best I have seen (spending and building like crazy Money no matter is a player in Brisgard. In two and a half years he got to Arc 180 in Titan and all three Titan GBs over level 85.
So he spent two years several hours a day to gte a powerful city. If you call that 'instant' ? But yeah he spent a boatload of money. way more than my piddly funds spent. (And then the rumors about The most recent World, Dilmun, with players getting to Future in a day.)
I have a relatively strong set of cities (3) but I play about six to ten hours a day, everyday for four years plus. And yes i spent some money.
Any player who is actively building a city is working hard to build a city. whether they spend money or not.
And the flip side of complaining about players spending money is players freeloading off those who do pay their own way. and also pay for the freeloaders who pay nothing. Oddly the spenders never complain about the freeloaders**. But the freeloaders have a lot of groaning and wringing hands over others spending money. (The same way weak players (who want to stay in their weak Guild) complain about players in strong Guilds who kick butt in GbG. The weak want a free ride or expect to have equal bennies as the strong players. Even as they refuse to do the work to be in a strong Guild.
Then for "The game used to be a lot more fun" part? I guess if you are not having fun anymore.. Not my problem. The game is for me just as fun as it has been for years. I think the difference is "Someone moved the Cheese" problem.
So Humans think they have it all solved., and dang! something changes. So some people just sit and get angry. Some figure out a way to work it out. Some decide to follow along with the folks who decide to stay where they were and complain bitterly that things changed. Some follow along with the folks who go looking for a solution.
This game is just like that. New changes, like GE5 using City defense. WOW, everyone including me was like WHAT??? But some players decided to refuse to take part, and some set to work on solving it. I pretty quickly settled on saying forget Negotiating. It will never be a good solution, and told others who would listen. and gradually a lot of us now can fight through GE 5 with no problem. The three Guilds I am in generally all players in two can do all 80 pretty well, and in the third Guild, (Where there is no longer any requirement to finish GE) about 2/3 do GE 5 to 80 anyway. And the effort to get there was fun..
The new GbG seemed to be similar. some hate it, some have made an effort to work at it. So my three Guillds we are winning the trophies. We all decided to work at it instead of giving up. it has been fun to do. A challenge. and fun.
Since fun is subjective. I suggest to players not having fun to think over their attitude. and realize they are like the idea in Who moved my cheese. It is all about attitude. 100% about attitude. And why I bother to write all this drivel. Maybe (but believe me i doubt it) i can get even one complainer to see the light it will all be worthwhile. LoL
** now yes this is complaining about freeloading true. But it and always has been in response to the complaints about spending money. For myselfI do no care at all that many do not spend. it's IMO a personal thing. and really none of my business.