Do I count? I’ve been here since before BC launched.
As for the question… To code? No, what a Game Master could do have always been based on the tools at their disposal. Tools that are far more robust than they ever have been but what abilities a Game Master has is not the same thing as what policies and procedures govern their actions.
What you may be remembering is the fact that a lot of what had been done in the early days was done so on the fly. Basic policies and procedures were developed to help GM’s help players, again… when they couldn’t help themselves.
Some policies changed simply because of how they were being utilized. Some because we learned better. Changes were made because some policies were being abused, others were updated because new systems were implemented to address the issue that the policies were originally designed to help with.
The problem with remembering the “good old days” is that what may happened isn’t exactly how they did or why they did.
Some were, there were issues over the years where some items were implemented without a fail safe and our staff was able to help until the Devs were able to implement one.
I am not unsympathetic to the situation, truly, but why we aren’t able to help is based on a solid philosophy our CS and Development department has, not because we don’t care, or get our directives from some nefarious overlord.