''Experts' are good for some things in EA, but isn't the sole game audience to be listened to. The mistake I see in this thread is: I am an expert in this genre and therefore my opinion should count more than anyone else. Games need a variety of audiences of different abilities to work well, without diluting the spirit of the experience, and in some instances non-experts can be actually better for feedback. "I'm struggling to understand this", or "why is this like this?" is often better feedback than "I don't like this because it's not how I like it", or "it's like this because it's how it's always been/should be." Games in EA need both, and both are just as valuable. And from a financial angle, it makes no sense just to cater to the hardcore. That's not how games sell.
Either way, gatekeeping is really not a good look.
