Still, this server needs something new like a world without the new pp features i think. It keeps getting worse on every new world, actually all the ways should be tried to lower the hugging and boost the activity.. Lower member limits, disabled outside support, radical settings such as 10:1 attack ratio for the startup or no barb nobling etc..
I understand your plight. I think we just have different approaches to how it should be fixed. I think all worlds should have pp features. I really think that people overestimate how powerful buying extra resources can be. The people who win do so through time, commitment and loyal teammates. It takes fantastical amounts of pp to substitute any one of those. If anyone doesn't farm and complains about pp making them lose they don't understand the game.
Yes sometimes you need pp to be competitive. So in my mind the exchange is an equalizer in my mind. It helped me raise pp easier. Most people don't realize that spending a bunch of resources at the beginning just makes them a juicier target for others. One of my favorite parts of this game is to win you need to be ruthless and taking pp features away, added attack ratios, and others restrictions can be done on casual worlds. (or tribal hugs) A side note, I do actually agree with smaller tribe limits on some worlds. It forces a group to actually work together to take out the opposition oppose to absorb them.
The exchange allows people who join after the first week to still have a chance. It helps them because they can buy at a decent ratio to help them catch up.
Also the TW staff would never say this but pp feature make them more money.(At least I assume people spending money on the game makes them more money) That is perfectly fine. I understand they need to keep the game running and have staff to sort through the fickle complaints of the users. If I owned TW I would favor pp worlds.