I agree with both of you (Cael and ArtofLight), and I think that for the health of the game (marketing and subscriber-wise) SOMETHING blowing up is going to happen and it will be glorious.
I must state that my sympathies and recognition of plight are directed at the fact that a lot of people who truly feel invested, and who have had the carrot dangled, are going to come off feeling sore. Balance is a rare thing - IRL we have entire religions based on that concept as some form of nigh unobtainable concept so I consider that some indicator of how frequently we should expect it. But the fact that a subset of the population is going to feel rightfully disenfranchised should not be ignored. They are not whining - they are valued and equal players in our world, who are upset that they cannot have a hand in their faction's actions. Should they be guaranteed that input? Not for me to say. But I recognise their frustration.
With railroaded events (completely ignoring any personal issues you, I or anyone else may have with he who shall not be named), both sides had their cherring hordes and disappointed supporters. The loss of Otro was a wrecking blow to many in the Liberal Caldari bloc, and even Patriots didn't clap with glee about it (at least too openly). The retaking of Caldari Prime is an often weaponised barb to sling at the Gallente, but the logistical nightmare it represents is a constant murmur of discontent in the Caldari community I have contact with.
To my mind, it is not irrelevance to the story line we fear or bemoan, but irrelevance to our peers. We are competitive to the point of viciousness sometimes, and it will no doubt be a point for years to come of 'Where were you when we smashed your titan?'. All role players have pride in something, at least them selves and sometimes in the community as a whole, but most often in a given PF supported element they chose as their own anchor.
So please take my words at face value when I say; I do not promote pandering, but the degradation of people's concern and vocal presentation of that concern, that they will be made irrelevant in respects to something they have spent substantial emotional and temporal resources contributing to, is a little unfair.