I am highly reluctant to throw money at a subscription model at the best of times, and it's a huge testimony to Xara that I consider doing so quite regularly.

I'm probably in a unique situation where I don't need to subscribe as I do freelance work for a small business who has a subscription, and I have after hours access through remote desktop. However, It would be handy to have my own copy, and I would like to contribute funds to the development of the program. And it's the 'development of the program' bit that stops me pulling the trigger. If I thought my yearly, not insubstantial, donation (remember I don't need to subscribe) was helping to fund improvements, I'm sure I would have. But, I see no evidence of that happening.

I would like to highlight my opinion on a customer/provider relationship...opinion... If I buy the product outright, the providers' obligation ends there. They would be foolish not to support the product because they want me to buy again. But essentially the transaction is done once I part with payment and receive the product. If you want me to rent the product, I expect you to keep that product in working order and/or repair integral parts of said product. And you don't have to look far to build a list of broken parts in the software.

My 2 biggest gripes are not being able to apply a reveal animation to objects in a layer, where quite clearly you can, because there's a 'workaround' for it.
The second is making anything sticky on a layer breaks the animation. Both of those have been reported on numerous occasions, and were ignored. Completely ignored. Not even an acknowledgement.

Blocks are new, and teething problems (I'm being kind) are expected. Blocks 2 was released which made things infinitely worse, again, new, the solution to Blocks 1 wasn't what was expected.

If you want to be the software equivalent of a landlord, I, for one, expect you to keep your property (you've made it clear it isn't mine) in good working order. Will you supply a timeline, or even a road map, as to when repairs to the broken parts will be addressed?

Out of the last 5 listed improvements in your own 'What's New' section, three of them are more templates.
I don't want new curtains when the roof leaks and the sink is blocked.

If you've read this far, you probably think I'm on a 'bash Xara' rant. I'm not. I'm genuinely teetering on the brink of throwing money at something that I have no need to, because I like the product, and I'd like to support it. But, like any donation, I want to know my money is going to the right place. I don't want to fund 15 colours of the same thing. I don't want to fund photo frames I can make myself in a matter of minutes. I want to know that much need fixes are, at the very least, on a to-do list.