Have you tried any mods at all? There are so many, they really make it great!
I didn't start playing until after they had already abandoned it :( so I don't know anything about their weirdness ...
I played it a lot vanilla but I have been hesitant to try some of the bigger mods because I hear a bit too hardcore for my liking. I wish the game was more fleshed out, but I don't want it to be a constant struggle.
The controversy was one thing, but the game itself really could've used more optimisation. I played through once and now occasionally go back and play with mods on, and the performance issues really does make you wish the game ran better.