the writing is consistently criticized, and short comings are pointed out.
No, there are a lot of people that, if someone criticizes a character, think that is insulting his/her girlfriend and reacts as if that critic were a personal insult. And the same happens if there are critics of other aspects of the game. It´s just that the mods delete the comments. This is not a civilized thread where you can criticize the game and people just agree or disagree.
But I think we are saying the same basic idea: it´s a good, enjoyable and professional game in comparison with most of the games of the same kind, that are crap. It´s just that I think that a dev don't need to have a big studio behind to write a really good story and characters.
Being a DIK is a mix of recycled ideas from his previous game (Acting Lessons), and worn clichés from movies of the 80´s and 90´s and juvenile soap-operas, all put through the filter of postmodern political correctness. The product is not bad, I enjoy most of it. A lot. Even if there are things that bother me, like the unrealistic female bodies (not even Marilyn Monroe had a body with such a slim waist) and the cliches of political correctness that can be found here and there in the story.
But I don't think is a bad thing to hope for more quality and creativity in games.