The game is not perfect - yet it delivers

[Chris4stars85]

No game is fun if you cannot progress with out spending top dollar. Is as simple as that. Let's assume the game allows you to reach th8 with out spending money and suddenly your progression to th9 is very very hard. It Is very time consuming, tiring to upgrade from th8 to th9. Some people will give gems to progress to th9. Those people that paid, once they reach another hard to achieve update, they will chip gems in again. One day they will realize that this is leading no where and will leave the game.
PIR the game doesn't allow you to progress fairly, then people will stop playing cause it is not fun anymore. This is what is happening to COC in my opinion.

1. Granted, speed of progression is a factor in people's enjoyment of the game

2. Progress is not the sole factor though, when you become max is the game no fun? When looting in attacks and even war becomes meaningless? no - I'd say it became more fun for me

3. You do not need to spend 'top dollar'. you just need to play in a style (big army/high league/every 2 hours) that doesn't suit alotnof people

[SantaClouse]

You do not need to spend 'top dollar'. you just need to play in a style (big army/high league/every 2 hours) that doesn't suit alotnof people

agree !!! And that is what I am doing.
in fact, as trophies come easy. I can even do a couple of goblin, archer and barbs with Giants as meat shields attacks to do some farming and still stay in Champion 3.

and consider this - the whole game is for free. It do s not even has advertisement popping up. If nobody is spending, how can the game be maintained and expanded?