Reality hit WH square between the eyes (to answer my own question above)
Not a backer so the failures or shortcomings to deliver things mentioned during that period carry no special weight.
As a pre-order consumer, I took the game they way it was. I like it. The non-hostile boars, the oblivious deer, the dumber than hell NPCs that surrender tactical advantage, the post-completion artifacts, etc bother me as they seem to bother you. That said, I could let all that go if something else came out in the wash.
I’m sure the future DLC will be interesting. But, ashes suggests WH don’t fully understand, appreciate or care what KCD players want beyond a superficial level. Ashes certainly isn’t a sandbox, and it isn’t much of a home as you cannot bathe, launder, mend stuff.
This got me thinking about the planned DLCs and the elements proposed in Kickstarter. Yes, I listened to more recent videos in which Daniel talks about pulling the plug on horses, etc. I understand why they didn’t make it for 13FEB2018 launch. What I’m less clear on is the future. It would be nice and appreciated to have follow up from WH [never, later (eg ~Q2 20xx), or next game] on those Kickstarter elements not yet in KCD.
Beyond that, if WH implemented sandbox, smithing, warhorses, large battles and dungeons in KCD and it’s DLC, I could live with all the current KCD bugs and glitchiness (minus PS4 popins that has to get back to 1.5 or better), and I could do without all other DLCs.