I dont think they are advocating dropping side content, but instead saying that having side content that is hidden or has no direction can take fun out of a game. For example, in OG pokemon games there are “hidden” items that have no hints or clues that they exist. If you walk to certain spots and press the action button you can find hidden items, but since there are no clues or indicators that they are there, it encourages just walking around and mashing buttons for the entire game in case there is another hidden item, which is the opposite of fun.

What part of the world do you live in? Im in the northeast united states, and i bet i havent had a single week in my adult life go by without someone telling me to thank god or jesus… you cant drive 5 miles here without seeing a billboard about god or jesus…

So… who was it that granted you the authority to decide who the “real fans” are?

Yeah… i get ya… but for me autumn makes my brain go “Fuck! Its almost winter… Fuck! Its almost winter” Ad inifitum. So for me spring wins cause i know ive got maximum time until the freezing temps make my bones hurt, and patches of ice are sneakily waiting to make me fall…

Looking at that graph seems like they are still higher than ever, just not continuing to spike, and the “falling” seems very minimal. I suppose thats good its not getting worse, but its still not good…

One of us is drunk and not making sense… im not 100% sure, but im leaning toward you…