I personally think the game is a lot of fun and there is alot of great things you did already or I wouldn't be here still playing, maybe that's not the attitude you want from a beta tester but that's the truth, I didn't join this to waste my time doing boring testing stuff. This game is enjoyable so I am continuing to play and test it. I also know most of the players I have grouped with really enjoy the game and are seeing the magic formula of old school fun social grouping mmo brewing in this game. You deserve a pat on the back for what you have done so far. On the other hand I also know there is a bit more work to be done to appeal to the larger audience.
I think what
@Kaeolin is trying to say is that there is subtle but hugely important difference between "this mechanic sucks here is how you fix it" vs "this mechanic feels bad, and here is why I think it feels bad, and what I think might make it feel less bad".
To me both those statements above are indistinguishable. One is less tactful but they both communicate the same result. Some people just lack empathy, and others are not good communicators. I don't think you should take peoples negative feedback personally. Its hard not to be defensive when you have bled your heart and soul into a project, but you have to just let it roll off. People didn't pay money for this game just to come here and waste time posting to piss you off. They obviously were hoping this game was good enough for them to play. They are trying to communicate in their own way.
I would want to hear all the feedback regardless of how its stated. If someone breaks forum rules do to personal attack then that's a diff issue. Anything said now is going to be 100 times worse later after release. The feedback will come whether its here or on another site or after launch, its unavoidable, where and when would you prefer to hear it? I think on here and early is better than later everywhere else.
If the devs are feeling overwhelmed in the forums then there are tools they can use to manage it. Examples they can just let the forum posters hash it out some until more ideas come out. Also they don't have defend or go back and forth about their product. If they see things they like or don't like, they can just make simple statements like "we like some of the ideas and are considering these for the future". If a topic served its purpose or gets derailed they can lock it. There are plenty of other tools to manage their time.
I personally like the devs working directly with us to solve problems, but also don't want to distract them from fixing problems and developing the game.
Lastly I am not calling anyone particular out here, as I don't know anyone's intent. However I feel the devs need to take into account that some people don't have the health of the game in mind when they offer solutions. Some cheerleaders like the game as is and don't even care if the game has more than 100 people playing it. I personally want to see the game succeed, so I am offering suggestions that I feel based on my long experience in MMO's that I believe is best for the health of the game. I want to see this game be very successful where 100,000 people are playing. This is good for mmo pve genre, mmo pve grouping games which I really enjoy. It would also be good for this game so devs can continue making additional content that I might like to play in the future.