The putz is a jerk, you're right. As far as I'm concerned ANY reasonably serious player can post a retirement thread just to let those who care know and post any kind of goodbye they want. That's assuming, of course, that they even read the DBG EQ forums, which I do myself rather infrequently---mainly due to the frequent "putz" posts. This particular retiree, who I didn't encounter at any time, does seem to have earned higher respect than average, so all the more reason to post a retirement goodbye and have it respected.
I think these kinds of posts are also invaluable because they send a message hard to ignore to DBG that they are losing important customers. I'm sure this retiree is the tip of the iceberg. Many quit and just don't advertise it beyond no longer sending DBG their money. In particular the recent spate of players losing their key characters off their accounts and encountering a stone wall of atrocious CS response is very concerning. If this ever happened to me guaranteed that would be the straw that breaks this camel's back, and I'd be gone after playing pretty much continuously since 1999. I played long enough to remember when CS was rapid, courteous and usually effective, even if it might take a few back-n-forths to explain the problem and obtain resolution. I feel fortunate that I haven't had to deal with CS even once since DBG took over because the horror stories I read in DBG forums... well, that's another reason I try not to read those forums very often.
Note that the moderators closed that thread. I don't think it was because it was a long-time player's goodbye post per se. I think they closed it because they saw the responses were starting to move in the direction of criticizing DBG and gathering steam.
That says it all, IMO.
/salute Danille.
Every dedicated player that quits due to such frustrations is a loss for the game and all of us, not to be too melodramatic!
Edited, Oct 20th 2016 6:39am by Sippin
____________________________
Sippin 115 DRU **** Firiona Vie ****Agnarr
FV: 115 WAR ENC CLE MAG WIZ SHD SHM Master Alchemist ROG Master Tinkerer & Poison-Maker
Master Artisan (300+) * Baker * Brewer * Fletcher * Jeweler * Potter * Researcher * Smith * Tailor
Agnarr: 65 DRU ENC SHD MAG CLE ROG WIZ BRD WAR