There are no new players so we shouldn't appeal to them, genius. The point of making the game better for new players is so we can attain them. Instead of not having new players and a declining population, and yes there have been new players, I don't know how many there are and how many have already gone. But there have in fact been new players.
uh yeah, if there in fact aren't any new players then there would be nothing to appeal to. changing mechanics wouldn't suddenly make them appear, if they weren't appearing in the first place. but if they are appearing, and being scared off specifically because of looms, that's a different story. but somehow, i doubt that a +number on an item here or there is what scares them off, as opposed to the +5 years of experience most other players have over them. if you wanna nerf anything, nerf your years worth of nerdy no life skills. looms or no looms, they're gonna get dominated. that should be pretty obvious.
or get used to the fact that everything dies, and your'e not gonna vampire your way through crpg by "attaining" the blood of young virgins