I'm supposed to be optimistic that this stuff will be fixed, and if isn't, its not important anyway.
No no, that isn't what anyone is saying, I don't think. It is important, and worth discussing the details, no doubt.

parcelt said earlier that it sounded like I am advocating saying only nice things. This is not at all true. Instead, what I am trying to get across is that expressing a complete sense of hopelessness that CA will make a better game than RTW is simply not constructive.

Optimism will not solve problems except to make the boards a place where people including devs feel like they can come without being attacked.

If they come and engage in discussion, then the boards become the ideal vehicle for player feedback. They come when they can, we analyse the heck out of the game, and everyone benefits from it.

On the other hand, if they come and read post after post about how CA "probably won't fix" issue X, or "screw up every time" on issue Y, what does that provide to them? Nothing at all. Why would a dev come back to boards like that?

I very much appreciate the measured responses, all, it's a tough balance to strike being critical and constructive at the same time.