The issue debated wasn't how many tailmouths or other event rares are in existence compared to every viscet. The issue is the extreme difference in sheer numbers between literally all of the other event traits, and the tailmouths. The second highest isn't even 1/3rd of the number of the tailmouth. That is a huge divide.
I'm not trying to call anyone out, but for a lot of people the tailmouth feels like a trend to follow. A lot of the "popular" community members have them, so others want them too.
For example, a user PM'd a viscet staff member asking to breed with "any of their monster tails". Not for a story, not for the parent's compatibility, but just to get the trait they've seen that they didn't even know the name of.
Some people will want to breed for story reason, yes, or because they genuinely love the trait and have ideas. But the fact is, this isn't what's called into question even. The reason for breeding them doesn't matter. The fact that there is such a complete imbalance is what we have an issue with, and we were trying to find a remedy to that without taking away the allowance of buying potions (because, you know, you don't have to buy a potion to breed. Breeding is free, and there's still a 25% chance of inheritance)
Prices were adjusted (and rather quickly-- well before you posted) so even DA points, they are now the price the legendary potion used to be (and Mint decreased all the point prices when they calculated the different exchange) so actually breeding via DA points got a lot cheaper in general from this change. Which is good for the people who didn't have as many points to spend in the community. The only things more expensive via DA points are the event potions-- specifically the tailmouth. Which was the point of this, to make people more choosy on when/if to breed and buy that specific mutation potions. Which isn't a
bad thing. They can decide this way whether they want it for character reasons, or not instead of doing it and seeing what happens.
There's nothing wrong with wanting a trait, but allowing for the traits to be that ridiculously imbalanced is a problem when it can be avoided. And again we thought it was a better option than no longer allowing for event rare (specifically tailmouth) potions to be bought.
Talking about price increase per breeding , Mint chip addressed that.
Simply making the price "8 c$" and doubling each time is bred solves the issue of continuous breeders (but those who have money, like you and many others) won't be swayed to cut back on these breedings. And "new" users who receive the babies can pay the minimum amount and receive a new babe. Breeding that tailmouth beginning at the "cheapest" price, and their baby and so on and so on.
As for slots limits. This is simply not feasible to keep track of. With well over 100 event viscets, and this number grows every month, it would be something else that would be extremely difficult for the staff to keep up with, nearly impossible. And then those that win them in readopts or have already hit that limit before we imposed that kind of idea, how is that any more fair to them?
There is no way to make tapering off the trait okay either. Because imagine readopts, it's a 2nd gen readopt but it can't pass down that trait whatsoever? How's that anymore fair that jacking up the price to deter people from breeding? There are so many things we've considered and this is the best option as it stands. As it stands we have been hoping this tailmouth fad would sort of subside on it's own, but it's only persisted in becoming more and more apparent over time. There were 4 tailmouth nursery batches purchased within less than a full 24 hours shortly after the nursery had opened. The sad thing is, is if this influx doesn't calm or subside then likely I'll have to nix the tailmouth as a purchaseable mutation all together. And it may come to that.
The only other option we have that's fair to all parties at this point is to either no longer allow for
directly purchasing event traits to pass down, or just the tailmouth potion in general (since we
want the other traits bought more to balance out)
We want to be able to release tailmouths again at some point, but we can't justify doing it with it just so off right now. We want to fix this so that we
can release them during events again at some point.
*EDIT* To add, this is no different than CS deciding what pets to re-release during the winter event and how many of each of those pets gets released. They want the numbers to be a certain way, so they release a certain percent to enforce that the numbers stay there. This is the same principle in a way, but more lenient and community-minded.
Every adopts website with rarities does this.
Some, or really most, popular CS species don't even allow for you to buy inheritance potions, or only buy them with some event currency.