Life Brings Change
First, I want to thank 
Second, I believe there have been so many changes (as we knew there would be) that its time to make an update. That is what this is.
UPDATE - Season 5
The game has continued to develop in both good and bad ways and we need to adjust as a result. The good is the game itself, as they have blown my mind in the creativity by the addition of new cards, abilities, and possibilities. I am super impressed and actually find it very fun to play, so if anything had to be good, this would be my 1st priority and I'm happy as hell they have excelled here.
Also we were "given" the opportunity to make a very very good return on our decks and cards bought in the first 5 seasons. The packs were huge in the first few seasons, but even the reward cards turned out to be a very profitable endeavor. I think we did really well as a group and certainly got our fair share... I have seen many of our people build their decks for free through this method and I think SM did a more than fair job of rewarding us.
Now with Season 6 it is clear that those results are going to be less going forward. And frankly I think the results of the 1st 5 seasons were so huge, it seems like a pittance comparatively. And in some ways it is. But...
The 1st 5 season are over. They are finished and there is no going back. I'm happy for all of us that participated, but we are now in season 6 and its a new deal. The rewards will be less for various reasons, but "why" is not as important as accepting that fact. So if anyone wants to give back their team or delegated decks, it is perfectly fine and we all would understand. Last season we got many back and now we will get more, its ok and no one should ever play a deck if they don't enjoy it and think its worth their time. Remember that first and foremost we are here to have fun, and you should always seek that as it regards teampossible.
Addressing Issues Head-on
Next, we also have discovered issues that maybe people find distasteful so I am going to address them head-on here.
1. Bots
First the bots. There are definitely bots that have invaded the system and they are very apparent now and I don't see them going away. Whether they are SM bots, linked to SM bots, or not even tied to SM is irrelevant; they will be there for a long time. I think the developers of the system don't see a problem with the bots as long as people are able to win games in the league levels they are "intended" to be playing in. In some ways we were spoiled by those bots letting us take level 3s into the fully maxed diamond league for instance, so after further reflection I am not sure we have much complaint if we stay in our intended league levels.
In addition, some people will also find the idea of playing a bot versus a human to be "not fun". I completely understand and I think that is a choice that all people have based on their own description of fun. Many video games are purely against a computer, so while it might take adjustment it is certainly not a travesty. But if you don't like it, then its ok too, so no worries if you don't want to play in the season rankings or get the daily quests.
2. Rich vs. Poor
The other issue to address is the fact that the "little guy" takes a back seat to the "big guy with money". It is clear that the skewing of the rewards in the direction they've gone has shown that the SM owners will prioritize the big guys at a greater rate than the small guy. Also in regards to tourneys, the people that have spent the money will get a far larger share of the prizes over time than the people that have not spent much. And while the owners of SM have tried to include everyone in getting rewards, if they have to choose which to care about most, it will definitely be the people with big money in the game.
This may lead to smaller to no rewards for many players at the low end, but until the game goes viral, there is simply no other way for it to be. There is not enough money to make everyone happy all the time and honestly they have done a wonderful job of getting the masses rewarded through 5 seasons, so they clearly care about the "average" person. They may care MORE about the rich guy, but they have done a remarkable job of showing their intent.
3. Overproduction of Cards
Finally, the last issue to address is the overproduction of cards. I don't really understand why they are doing this, but the bottom line is they are. They have the right to do what they like and while it isn't what I would do, it certainly is their game. The reward cards are cards like every other card so the cumulative impact of this overproduction will affect the entire population of cards (Alphas, Betas, Promos). I think we have already seen the impact and we may or may not see further degradation over the coming months. There is obviously a negative to the card values for any card holders, however there is also a positive that occurs from this happening: we can buy new (and old) cards at much cheaper prices. So people looking to play the game and get better cards now have that opportunity. The bottom line: there is a big dump of cards being released and it is affecting the prices, so whether you are buyer or seller obviously your opinion will be skewed to that bias. The point is, it is happening and time to move on and deal with it as it is.
Moving Forward
If you know of people that are new to SM that want to play a level 1 starter deck to learn the game and enjoy the pure fun of playing, then let me know. We will have decks available for those people.
Once our members get good and show their dedication and love for the game, we also will have opportunities to play higher level delegated decks from our team members. These decks will be not as available as the starter decks, but when available we will certainly use them to help people deepen their knowledge and experience (and of course rewards). In the future, please let me know your intent to play these decks if you wish.
Finally, remember the first goal is to have fun and hopefully everyone keeps that in mind. Steemmonsters is a game and should be treated as such. I think there is a tremendous long term potential of this game, but if we get ourselves too focused on the negatives we may miss the big picture as well. By remembering its a game, we can enjoy it; and if it turns out successful, then of course we can be rewarded. If the focus is only on the short-term financial impact, then we will do ourselves a big disservice. So I would ask everyone to consider how much fun they have and play accordingly!