Yeah I love how people will bitch about something they got for free.
Sharing a love for a game in a thread is one thing, as well as having a healthy discussion about game elements. but of course some people forget the adage 'if you don't like it, then don't download it!
When a new update is released, I like to post a brief synopsis of the games I'm enjoying in the relevant threads, to give others an idea of how much new content to expect, and help them decide if (for them) it is currently worth downloading that update. Some updates are very incremental with little new content, while others add a lot of content. It's good to know which is the case, and developers sometimes get lost in their own hype so to speak. Neither is necessarily bad, as long as you have some idea in advance which case it is.
Some people are also very quick to criticize art styles. Art is a very personal thing, even if you are using a program such as Daz Studio to make it. Not everyone is going to do things the same way, and in some cases they may have a very specific tone/artistic vision of how they want their stuff to look, as opposed to simply 'copying' someone else's style. And let's be honest, a number of developers may be trying the game art thing for the first time, be it hand drawn, 3d rendering or whatever. While critiques can be helpful, how you make that critique can be a real turn-off depending on your tone And, again, if you don't like the artistic style, you don't have to download the game.
Sure, there will always be trolls, and developers should keep that in mind. Too many games end up being abandoned due to negative feedback. In some cases that's a good thing, but in other cases the developer was putting together a nice story, but decided to simply walk away 'cuz they didn't need the stress.
If these were products that we were buying from GOG or something, then these critiques are more important. You payed money for the product after all, and you don't like to waste your money. Plus, developers of retail games need the feedback so that they can make a better game next time.
But for free products, this is simply someone trying to tell a story on their own terms, and I respect them for that. Even if I'm not interested in their specific story.
Patreon is a gray area. While in theory you are seeking 'patrons' to support your hobby, in effect you are no different from a game company. You are seeking money for your game, pure and simple. Ignore feedback at your own peril. Some feedback can be ignored, but ignore a lot of it, and you may lose patrons. This is NO DIFFERENT than a game company that releases a bad game digitally. Sure, they will still sell a few copies, but word gets around fast. If you are doing the Patreon thing to make a few bucks, you've just opened that door regardless of whatever you want to tell yourself.
As a developer, pandering to the crowd too much can be bad too (feature creep getting in the way of the story, for example), so you need to find the balance that allows you to to tell the story you are trying to tell while keeping the majority of your patrons happy.
If you are supporting a developer on Patreon, the best place to give them meaningful feedback is on their Patreon. Sure, some developers spend time here as well, but most pay only passing attention to the many threads for these games on various forums. In a lot of cases, it's a better use of their time to focus on generating content for the next update.
Back to the point here. I agree that in most cases people here are downloading a game for free, and they need to keep that in mind. If the developer wants your feedback here, they can ask for it. Otherwise, if you don't like the game in question, there are a buttload of other games being discussed here, so spend your time in those threads instead. No one is holding a gun to your head saying 'YOU MUST PLAY BIG BROTHER" (or whichever game).
