The fact is supposition and making up reasons will not make the design team any more likely to respond to you lot. For some reason they are not willing to keep their community involved in the game's development at all, personally I can't understand that sort of mentality. All they keep saying is 'things are moving along'. They have obviously got a lot of work to do on things that will not be very marketable such as coding and background computing stuff.
My own view is they should release a bi monthly development report to their community to keep people intersted, even if they are a year or two away from release. But committing hari kari by giving nothing is surely self defeating. If they arent making the game for their community it makes you wonder why they are bothering to do it at all. You would think they would ask some questions, find out what is important to their community, find out how to make a game people actually want to play. But the way it comes across is they are making the game they want to make and damn anybody who doesnt want to play it. Surely that sort of arrogant behaviour isnt worth any sort of support.
Its all very strange. I cant say I am bothered either way because I wont be buying the new game anyway - Kerbal Space Program being my limit of complexity. I only come here once a year or so out of interest in seeing how long this community will last with no feedback and how small it can get before the game is actually released.
Its a very strange way to carry on a business.