Advancements don't have to happen through external sources such as mod updates.
People are getting bored because they're too unimaginative, uninspired and perhaps bound to tradition and convention to attempt new, interesting ways of roleplaying. They rely on new hardware (ships, equipment etc) to feel occupied and as soon as they're bored with them they'll demand new things again. Or even worse, troll and annoy other players.
Some people are just not truly dedicated to roleplaying as others but rather feed on the new content and playerbase. I'd gladly play on a roleplaying server with only vanilla content myself as there're no limits to how far I can develop a character, not to mention any other.
![[Image: jxie93.gif]](http://sig.grumpybumpers.com/host/jxie93.gif)