My guess is that part of the reason the numbers are so slow is the really steep learning curve.

I think the secrecy made more sense a decade ago. Then, there was still enough people playing that is wasn't hard to learn stuff IC. Now, there are very few people around to teach new players the cool secret stuff that can't be talked about OOC.

I think the areas to find preps should be made know, such at "There is a Damage reduction type-1 potion in area-x". The new sleek system made this better for mages, but I don't think it went far enough.

I think the area, stats, and special effects for ALL weapons and armor should be made public. The illusionary stuff helps, but I again don't think it's far enough for these low of numbers.

Just giving the areas would keep it somewhat secret, but at least tell people where to look. This would give new players a better chance at finding these things. I've been playing for ~15 years, and still wonder about some things.

What's the point of having all of these secret items if it's killing the game?