I’ve been playing Clash of Clans for years and have stayed maxed through TH14, TH15, TH16, TH17, and now TH18. I’ve spent countless hours farming, bought Gold Passes, upgraded heroes, finished millions upon millions of resources worth of walls, and paid the full cost for every new defense, troop, and building as soon as they were released.  
Now I look back and see defenses that cost 15 million reduced to a fraction of that, hero upgrades massively shortened, wall costs slashed, lab upgrades discounted, and now Hero Journey giving newer players another big boost.  
Before anyone says it: **I don’t think new players shouldn’t get catch-up mechanics.** I understand why they exist. If costs never came down, the game would become impossible for new players to reach the latest Town Hall.  
What frustrates me is that it feels like veteran players get almost nothing in return.  
Every update seems to make years of grinding cheaper, and while that’s healthy for the game, it also makes me wonder: **what was the reward for staying maxed all these years?**  
The Hero Journey update really made me think about this. I had all Hero Equipment unlocked before the update, and now I’m left wondering if my migration was even correct because there was no clear breakdown of what I received. It just added to the feeling that veteran progression isn’t really valued.  
I’m not asking for stronger troops, extra stats, or exclusive gameplay advantages.  
I’m asking for **recognition.**  
Give veteran players something permanent:  
A profile badge for maxing a Town Hall before the next one released.  
A veteran title.  
Exclusive decorations or cosmetics.  
A profile border.  
Anything that says, “Thanks for supporting the game and staying at the top.”  
It wouldn’t hurt new players at all. They could still catch up, and the game would still stay healthy.  
I just wish staying maxed for years felt like it meant something beyond simply paying more and grinding longer than everyone else.  
All those years of grinding walls hero’s and pets and what not at premium just for a new guy to catch up at half the effort and what do I get I used 100 percent effort and sure I got to play at the top but that is not enough I want recognition for veterans I want us to feel like our efforts we’re not in vain. I am. It asking for gems our something or maybe I am idk  it maybe a list of our accomplishments show when we hit milestones like maxing a th idk how to explain it but I want to be able to show that I was a maxed th 18 before a newbie that will hit it on 5 years at half the cost.  
Does anyone else feel this way, or am I the only one?

Title: Does anyone else feel like veteran players aren’t really appreciated at all