Why? Dwarf Fortress only exists because it was given away for free for decades, bringing in tens of thousands of dollars in donations, and eventually leading to a fandom popular enough to bring others onboard with the project to produce a GUI and paid steam release version.

If something you build brings in a lot of critique, it is likely something of great value. Because something that doesn't have value won't bring much critique at all.

You have to look to the people for whom those decades brought joy, and realize how grandly that outnumbers complaints...

and if you find yourself blessed enough to be in that position does the road, then "reading HN" is a problem that solves itself ;)