Changing the rules definitely drove away Turkey Sandwiches. I talked with him and the changes just destroyed his competitiveness. He had to buy a great guard and Depetris was the best available and he ended up bidding against a country...
Depetris was the one player that I actually set my alarm for and woke up at 3am to try to buy. Fortunately, I didn't have enough money, though if I did, I probably would've taken him.