[Miller]

I feel like the issue is more so a lack of design, as in, we went from being restricted by rules to being restricted by others due to a lack of rules--- /snip

I agree and also disagree a bit; but it's an extremely fair point nonetheless.

There's so little rules that could benefit breaking the mold that it does end up hampering things a fair bit; the lack of defined war rules was one of them, along with the unchecked power of nations. I have nothing against any players of said nations nor do I blame them since we're all playing with the cards that we've been dealt like you've said, but there's been times in the past where agency was robbed by virtue of IC power being way off the deep-end for sure.

That said, I believe the issue is less-so the lack of rules per say; not to discredit the inclusion would've been a strict benefit back then, but I largely believe that the problem mostly stems from the community at whole not favoring these sorta conflicts in the first place. You can make a ton of good rules to everyone's benefit, but when no one is having fun playing by said rules, there's no point right? Of course, we don't know if that's actually the case given we never had any real set rules.

Which is why I believe the removal of certain player-controlled creative tools to be the key problem in why things have gotten so stagnant in my eyes, though I do understand your perspective.