Other than brand new players or those who pop in every once in a while to praise the game, I don't know if anyone legitimately white knights for DPC here. At best, they'll downplay the negatives (like the dev time) and take stuff at face value (DPC being a self-proclaimed perfectionist).
I'm a new player, so i haven't had to sit through a full development cycle, the next one is going to hit like a brick
For me, it's a balance. Knowing i'll have to wait at least a year fucking sucks and i'm dreading it months before the update is even out. I wish he'd focus more on the bulk of the game than mini games and pointless Madame Rose scenes (i haven't watched one, and i don't plan to)
But at the same time, it's a fucking good game, with a host of really complex, likeable characters who you can genuinely empathise with or get attached too. I haven't played an absolute ton of VN's, but for me the visual quality is the best in genre (aside from the fucking metal teeth), the animations are great, the gameplay loop is fun. I struggle with other VNs sometimes cause it's streamlined, it's one story beat to the next, BaDik has the free roam system that lets you breathe, take in the world with Rooster or text messages
But then, you finish all the routes, and you twiddle your thumbs for a year. Like i said, for me it's the balance. It's very rare (especially with solo devs), that you get a good mix of quality content, and get it quickly. When i'm 8 months into a dev cycle for the first time, i'll probably be a lot more harsh
