I think Vandy hit into a major issue. WIS, and especially HD, has been built on the backs of a bunch of loyal customers who have been with HD for a long time, and account for several teams across multiple worlds. They have done a terrible job reaching out and bringing in new customers.
I just don't see how a complicated recruiting system with random results is going to help retain new customers. If I am a new HD player, and I lose 2 coinflips where I was "Very High" to another school who was "High" in both cases, there is no way I am paying for another season to see if I can get better or if the game grows on me.
Listen, I understand that in real life things happen. Heck, I am a Pitt football fan, and they have been recruiting a 4 star DE who is local for 2 years, comes to all the home games, wears all Pitt gear, praises Narduzzi as much as he can. Takes one weekend visit to South Bend after they recruiting him for 2 weeks, and he's now a Notre Dame Commit.
The difference is, they are asking me to pay to play this game. If all it is going to do is cause confusion and aggrevation, why would I continue to play. Additionally, Seble going MIA after the release is unacceptable to me.
We just had an instance in Wooden where there 3 schools "Very High" on a recruit, 2 of them A+, one of them me. I had min of 30 Att Points every cycle, good preferences, maxed out all my visits, promised a start and 20 minutes, and lost him to a 4th school who was C+ prestige and just"High". Why should I continue to pay to play this game? Someone please tell me.