This was posted before and feels more relevant now with Jonathan on the helm

http://www.memorableplaces.com/mudwimping.html

Despite being an old article from a different hobby, it's surprisingly relevant to this game's full life history. This excerpt in particular hits close to home:

Within the players, this produces a natural, rational, and predictable reaction. What they counted on today may not be there tomorrow. These gods that were so kind and helpful before have now become the adversaries, seen as tyrants or people not to be trusted because they have betrayed the implied and implicit trust that the players gave them when they decided to invest their personal time and play the mud on a regular basis.

It's particularly funny to read about the Factionalization section with how PoE 1 players and PoE 2 players are forming their own tribes on their respective subreddits. If you are a new PoE 2 player who wishes the devs would just abandon the first game (yes, I see some of you there), consider your place in this cycle. History repeats itself.