Do you remember when there was a big row about what the player was paying for and people were worried about what they were getting in the final game as opposed to in paid DLC/addons? Squad showed their cards and allowed everyone who had purchased the game to be entitled to addons/DLC free of charge as they bought the game under the impression that they would be receiving it anyway. I think that really shows how squad thinks of us, Not as just a financing source but as a supportive community. As far as influence goes, we should have some say in how the game is made. We are the people who are going to be playing the final release and as such, our opinion should be (and I believe is) valued. But just as a writer will take suggestions from a fan base but still write the book he/she wants, so too it think will squad take our opinion into consideration but make the game they see fit.