Interesting question! Where do you think the game's staff sit in all this? Ultimately, they're the ones with the power to introduce change if they see value in it.
Are they letting the old guard speak up on their behalf, or do you think they're actually open to change if there's a strong desire for it?
Change can be really hard for some games. REALLY hard. The situation you've described - I've seen it play out many times across various MUDs over the years, and it's never an easy thing to watch.
When players advocate for change, it means they love the game enough to fight for things they think will make the game even better. But admins have a right to run their games according to their own vision/principles and often do so at the expense of their own time and resources. At the end of the day, there's only so much you can do to try and change their minds.
My advice to anyone in that situation is this: if you find yourself feeling frustrated more often than having fun, it's time to find a new game to call home. No game is worth the stress, IMO - no matter how well-established or how long you've been playing there.
None of these will solve the problem, but they contain some food for thought for folks who stumble across this post. :)
I also recently did an interview with Opie, and he has some thoughtful things to say about game development and community management. Worth a read for anyone who's considering starting their own game.