I'm in software development, and I understand the effort involved in making something this big and complex...
I'm on the hardware and networking side of things being a sysadmin, but have some development experience as well, so I can totally sympathise with the effort and difficulties of creating a product for others: the balance with the realities of costs and the pleasing the needs of the end user.
As critical as I am now of Frontier, it's not because I lack patience. I'm a customer, and bought into a certain description of this product. They have steadily stopped living up to that, changed the expected priorities, and have distanced themselves from the community. It seemed this attitude came about once the product no longer needed the support of crowd sourced backing to make it a reality.
...But I also understand that it's important to keep your stakeholders in the loop, and with this game we're all stakeholders, and I for one feel out of the loop. Keep us engaged and interested, and we'll continue to spend time (and money) on the game. Leave us out in the cold and we'll get bored, so when you release your expansion packs we might not be here to buy them. Acknowledge the game's deficiencies, don't hide behind corporate speak. Give us a roadplan, and don't be scared to change that roadplan or to leave bits out of it (we know how much you like your surprises). We'll understand. Just don't treat us like children, thinking that when you give us this big reveal (Powerplay or CQC) it's like you're being this benevolent entity bestowing wonders upon us. I'd prefer to be treated like a peer; share the ups and downs of development and we might surprise you by being supportive and understanding.
I've seen that shift enough times in various walks of life, as well as the gaming industry, to know what the reality behind that process is, so I'm not altogether surprised. But I am disappointed, specifically in David Braben, because I believed that he was sincere in his Kickstarter campaigning and would deliver the things he spoke about. Right now, I don't believe he will, but that's not why I'm not playing the game. That's just because it lacks any real content beyond the superficial illusions for me to really have any sense of continued progression for my commander.
The way I see it, I think I've reached the 'end' of what Elite: Dangerous has to offer, and if I want more, it's time to look at other games. However, if and when something of interest is added to this one, then I will pop back and partake, because I don't think it's a bad product. Far from it, it has huge potential in the right hands directing the development. For instance, the new CQC mode looks interesting to me as incorporating the best aspect of ED - the flying and combat.
It's a shame they have decided the PC community is not appropriate to test that mode, otherwise I'd love to try it now rather than wait six months. Instead, they've given us Powerplay, which is really nothing in terms of content. The rest of the pursuits in the game are worthless for a 2014 product: mining and exploring are pathetically simplistic and not worth the time in credits; salvage and scavenge are non-elements due to silly rules like "illegal cargo"; bounty hunting and smuggling are continually nerfed anytime they get interesting; and trading is something you do when you have insomnia.
The problem for Frontier is, commiting back to regular two-way communication with the supporters means being prepared to answer hard criticisms rather than the low hanging fruit. Love to be wrong, but I don't see that happening; not unless the game fails with the wider audience and they need the backers again to keep it alive.
at the moment is no-where near a AAA game.
