GailWho If you really want to talk about what we had "before rubies"...
We had a great game that had no PTW elements. War was fun and was a true measure of skill. Events came along, which was great, where everyone had access to the exact same troops cards and buildings. They couldn't hoard the buildings, they had to use it that week. Everyone was on the same level. All was good.
But now you can buy cards and buildings with real money. War is now about who has the best troop cards and buildings, not about skill.
So don't act like the rubies is some kind of great free thing. It's like BHG beat you up and stole your wallet, but then hands you back a dollar bill for "free"! How generous, right? If we could buy "good" armies for a good price with rubies, it might help offset the PTW fiasco, but they have a lot more to do to make any headway. This barely puts a dent in the problem.