Well, I would agree with you that the first couple of instalments (those that had -5 rolls) were defo not for f2p. I think last years was made for endgame f2ps and those that saved millions of crystals very specifically for sales or events. So that was the charm of it for some like me. You did not have to spend 25k rubies or spend rubies/tankoins at all and go full crystal grind. Heck, they even gave a f2p event mode in CP Firebird/Wasp without supplies which made the grind even easier and saved your drugs for regular MM. You just had to run in the middle and got hundreds of points for free. I spend somewhere between 4.5-5 mill crystals on last Halloween, but got 6 skins, shot effect, and bunch of supplies, crystals and nades from the individual tiles. Those end game players who saw the value got a godsend of event where they could use the otherwise pointless crystal banks on some of the best skins in the game. Its just that some people missed the value because the system changed from free progress locked to second or third checkpoint to contract system that gave possibility to go further but was conditioned by spending crystals/tankoins/your time on contracts. You are right though, if we consider the regular f2ps with very limited resources which make the majority of the playerbase, this event was never made for them and actually got worse with last years instalment. I also agree with you when we look from the perspective of going just full Gold Contracts. If you are going completely 'buyer' mode this event got much cheaper, so if the prizes are good for you, its still a win despite the contract progression and -2s with the UCs, grenades, Excelsior and Boxer as the main prizes to set ones eyes on. I think a lot of buyers can actually call it a day on fourth checkpoint if they arent invested on the prizes on individual tiles after this checkpoint given that Isida Pulsar is an old augment, legendary key is useless for many buyers with all skins and new DC is for turret that many players stopped playing after recent updates.  

As said above, paints are filler reward, so the fact that they share rarity tiers with useful items is an important part of balancing container rewards. If you give them a different glow, they would still have to stay in the same rarity tier, but then it gets confusing when the same rarity tier has items with different colour glow. Just... deal with it I guess?

skill issue just buy all the paints so only augments are left no matter what.   or just you know... separate container... paints were obviously created as filler reward. now we have like 800+ items in container. we do not need rewards whose whole purpose is to be filler in rare categories anymore. nerfed dead useless trash bot noob augments serve that role. youre gonna look me dead in the eye 👁️ and tell me rubberized rounds for smoky is not as bad as Frigid Coat paint(what you don't know this one)? 

Its really annoying whenever I see an orange glow, only to end up being some animated paint... ;-;   I think paint should just have its own rarity color, so people can expect for the upcoming unbox that it WILL be paint, not some fancy shmancy unlock.

You did mention costs back then and costs now. The only main downside is the score requirement on contracts, but ruby costs from 990 to 290, speedups from 2000 to 1500. just to put it in simple maths, it's generally 60% cheaper, not saying 70 yet without seeing the -2 trigger effects. So let's make it sound a bit worse, maybe 50% reduction in cost. So to lose a lot of pure cosmetic items and gain some augments, most want busted augs. Granted, these may or may not be busted. Along with the first time release of a measly just a turret skin again. The main thing I need to know and confirm is, are the prizes from steps, same as last year. If they are, then this is still more than fine. Sure skin collecters get punched in the gut, have been for a while. Likely means they're holding them for black friday. But for the game to show Hunter DC on the wallpaper with Isida DC this seasonal event too is, well i'm not gonna complete that.   Also, one of the things, that a lotta 'buyers' fail to see is. Assuming they have the money, You always want to hit EVERY -1 (-2) step, because u get prizes for each step u make. More steps = more tile prizes. It's a weird and funny thing.  This holds more truth even at lower ends for small spenders who are going for X checkpoint, since any moves you can't use to complete and reach a checkpoint, are rendered null. This event has always been mainly for grinders with lots of crystals and small-large spenders. This trick or treat event is not made for f2p's.   Saw an image with 140 moves for completion. 140 epic keys, 262 commons, 150 pumpkin nades, 61 tsar and around 3k of each but mines/golds of supplies. On top of checkpoint prizes that is. 28 gold contracts, 8120 tk/rubies, now, tell me it isnt a great event for the grinders, cuz it deffo is.   Last years cost was around 25k ish for such grinders ofc with less rep points needed that time.