"A new player can now make something like a dollar a day with the starter set"
I don't see how this could be possible. A new player holding just the starter set gets less than a quarter DEC for winning his game.
"Contrast that with the old system, where that was technically still possible, but you had to sell DEC at the bid for STEEMP, then pay 1% for STEEM, then buy packs."
Or you could just buy the boosters on Steem Engine with STEEMP.