It might only be because I'm so new here (it's pretty clear from the amount of posts and your reputation lvl that you've been here longer than most), but my experience has been really different. People welcomed me in, made sure I knew the ropes, and voted for my posts to make sure I never lost heart. 

No, it's not always easy to watch someone get a truckload of coin for a post that wasn't the greatest (in  your/my opinion), but as we continue to go forward these things will change. The power dynamics will shift as people that stick with steemit gain more and more power as time goes on, especially if the user base/retention continue to grow appropriately.

As far as it being "not really a blogging site that rewards good writers, but rather a game for those who are willing to do whatever it takes to become popular". I think it can be either one, that's up to us. If there are scam artists here, then rest assured that you're right: there no place to hide - especially in the blockchain.