I'm at the opposite: I think people have the right to complain about anything, especially when they're the target audience (in this case, the game player). This doesn't change even if the product is free.
I do think they should stay polite and if the author isn't willing to change (for either objective or subjective reasons), move on.
I think people have the right to complain about anything, especially when they're the target audience (in this case, the game player).
What people do not have any right, or entitlement, to is agreement from the person they're complaining to. People are allowed to dismiss a complaint and not do anything about it, no matter how unhappy the complainant might be about it. You have no right to demand someone does something; you can only inform them that you're not happy about the status quo.
I think it's the semantics of "demand." To me, that connotes a claim of control or power or moral authority.
I have a right to complain that it's raining. And I have the free speech right to say "I demand it stop raining". But I have no right to come to you and demand that you make the rain stop, because that implies a claim on you that I do not have.
Oh boy, that reminded me of a flame war that started when someone wrote in English, "I demand ..." when they were really just _asking_ for further details about something. They woke up the next morning to find a thread dozens of messages long of people arguing back and forth about whether this person was rude or not. Once they explained that French was their native language and how they would write that sentence in French, things eventually calmed down.
I think there's a similar bit in some movie where some character (foreigners? aliens?) keeps using "insist" inappropriately. I insist that it's nice out today. I insist that we go for a walk. I insist that you tell me what time it is.
It's amazing how relatively mild denotational differences can have such wildly different connotations and perceived tones.
I do think they should stay polite and if the author isn't willing to change (for either objective or subjective reasons), move on.