My first thought was that they made it worse, too. But it might work out okay after the bosses level up. For now, it is slower. I also agree that PvP is not a great source of game cash. I imagine new players are happy with those low level affection and boost item drops. For me, they just don't make enough difference and are worth so little when sold, that I only feel like I got a "win" if a little in-game cash drops. That hopefully improves with level too. I hadn't invested much in arena battles before now.