Although I agree that the estate should be purchasable using crowns (15000 crowns?), I honestly couldn't care less about the estate. If somebody wants to spend $50 to advance faster, sure good for them,but it doesn't change my raiding or war match up. I still meet bases of my level and they get bases of their level.
Yeah, sure you'll meet bases of your lvl at raids - with much tougher defenses that is - purchasing Estate means you can work on each Uni research tree , and still have enough workers for another upgrade.
Each defensive research at Uni gives 3% of dps or hp.
Beeing GPA and doing mortar upgrades till lvl 5 you have dps of IA mortar without Uni upgrades.
In the long run ot does affect your looting ability , because Uni upgrades don't give you exp which means that someone at your lvl who could manage to do more Uni upgrades than you will have same lvl as you with insane defensive capabilities which will make you unable to do even 15% of destruction not mentioning gaining resources.
Second thing we got with this update is Sniper Tower - well guess what , that means that your healing carts will die right at the beginning of battle , and you are left without them struggling to loot from at least one Mill/Market beeing shot at from insanely strong defenses , or geting killed by insanely strong defenders .
And please don't anyone comment that it was the same thing with starter packs , that some ppl bought them with real money to advance faster , and the issue we have now is the same, because it really ain't.
If you have bought Starter Packs it only ment that you get houses faster, not that you get aditional house and in the long run everyone could buy same houses that come from Starter Packs , but at later Ages.
It is not the same this time.
This time you either buy with real money , or can dream about having more workers.
In case of Starter Pack you could choose - pay , or wait till you can build houses with resources. In case of Estate it's like Nexon telling you - pay , or GFY.