Yes, CF might attract more people if they added the changes you want, but that doesn't mean they want to. Attracting as many players as possible is the goal of a commercial game sold in stores, not neccesarily the goal of CF.

I came to realize that for a number of reasons not entirely unlike those you mentioned, CF is not really targetted at the kind of casual player I am, so I haven't played seriously for about a year. But there's no point in making a big deal about your departure when the problem is your lack of interest in what CF is.

CF is a game targetted at a fairly specific interest-base. It's a game best for hard-core gamers with a lot of time to commit to their character. It's designed for people like the same things you find that detract. People for who a high-investment game does generate the most fun for their time, and who like ranking, gathering preps, regearing, and the things you probably find tedious. That doesn't mean you can't play at all as a casual player, you just can't expect to excel. And that's fine. Some old players will go, and that's okay if they are no longer who the game caters to.