Let me say that I agree with you 100 percent on the testing bit. They don't
test in a competent manner, but at the same time they claim to.
However, I want to say something about the perception that they are ignoring the
large issues in favor of the small ones.

I'm currently working on a fairly large data warehousing project, with a fairly
complex ETL (extraction/transform/load) structure.

I have a list of changes that need to be made.
The system is in production.
The data used will F up the financials if I screw up.

What do I do? What would YOU do? I make the small safe changes first. Tweak
a field value, change a calc. No structure changes, no multi tier changes.

Things as a whole get slightly better, my list is shorter. I still have large
issues.

How do you solve large issues? What's the solution to issue X? Who does that
solution hurt unintentionally? How long does it take to get a workable
solution?
Can you even get one with no downsides? I've almost NEVER solved a complex
issue with no drawbacks in a complex system.

Now, I have a team working with me.

What do we do? Some folks make MANY small changes fairly fast.
Some folks work long hours for months on EACH large issue and fix them slowly.

Both of these things happen at the same time.

I know most of us are programmers/data specialists/IS folks, etc. And as mad as
we are, you know that in the real world this is how things work.

Add to this that we have NO idea what the code ramifications to change are. For
all I know, the same module that controls spell X also produces cascade data for
mob behavior Y. With a zillion spells and a zillion mobs, making ANY structural
or rate change can be HUGELY time consuming, even to track the effects, much
less implement the change.

I think Verant has dropped the ball in several cases. Are they a bunch of
Keystone Kops with no clue? I doubt it.

Complain away about specific issues, that's the only way to get them fixed.

But nobody on this list really knows enough about the code or dynamics to call
Verant incompetent.

Just my .02 cents, having been there...

Golias the Staunch!