I talked a bit about this yesterday when it all broke, and I was pretty upset, understandably I think.
I see a few people saying they don't really understand what the issue was, this is what I saw as the issue.
People who are not playing the game or paying in any way to support the game were being given free gifts. In itself this isn't such a bad idea - it can work as a nice incentive to encourage inactive players to try the game again. The problem is with the QUALITY of some of the items being given out. There were cases of people being given the Cyanfin dolphin mount. Active players with active subscriptions had spent HUNDREDS of dollars trying to get this mount from an RNG box, only to never get it. To then see someone who isn't even an active player get it 100% free was a big slap in the face.
Active, paying players got nothing and received very little communication when this all broke. The way the e-mails were worded suggested these gifts were being given to say thank-you for patronage, which leaves paying customers wondering "Where's my gift?" "What is going on?" (The e-mail: http://i.imgur.com/6pqjC1j.png).
This could have been done a lot better. I doubt any reasonable players would have an issue if they handed out smaller packages - a couple of labor pots, maybe a small window of free patron time, something like that. It's not an uncommon tactic for companies to use to entice players back to an MMO.
To hand out something that I personally spent hundreds of dollars trying to get just really sucks. Yes, I knew I was buying an RNG box and I may not end up getting it, and I'm okay with that, it's a choice I made. But a few weeks later to turn around and give it to people who aren't even playing the game, for FREE, is just such a terrible move.
I am actually okay with the response they've given us so far. The patron gifts will need to be at least on par with the gifts given to inactive players though, or else they won't have fixed the issue in many people's eyes.
If the gift turns out to be a lousy 200 Labor pot or something, then I imagine there will be a second riot within the community, and honestly, it will be justified.
