I know Brad and team say that Elemental will 'never be done' but I think it has to be done, at some point, lets call it the 'vanilla' version, the version that is stable, bug free and that we can all agree is a solid game and we can get used to how the systems and game principles work etc.
I bring this up because I get the sense that the community and the devs are all gung-ho about changing how the game works drastically over time. While this is cool, I'd like to keep that vanilla version around and then activate these drastic changes with a checkbox or something. Because from what I'm reading in these forums and dev posts, there are big changes coming for how the game works and I just don't have the time or patience to have to re-learn the game each month, with each patch.
Lets call things that fix legit bugs and performance issues, patches and let's call things that drastically or dramatically alter internal game concepts, system or that add additional content or change existing behavior, mods.
Also, there is a thread out there about how people seem to think it's okay if old save files can be broken if it helps create the ability to add new features, I don't really agree with that. We need a vanilla version with a save file that is standardized but supports mods to some degree, other games seem to do this with no problem (to my knowledge), I think that should be acceptable here. I'd hate to have this vanilla version, play some games and then not be able to load them up in the future.
Bottom line, while everyone might love the idea that the game will evolve in all these different ways over time, I personally would simply like a game that we can call finished and doesn't require incessant patching, we need a 'done' version that the devs or us can truly mod.
Note, if I'm worrying for no reason and these fancy new ideas will be mods to the current game and perhaps the current version is 'vanilla' then disregard my comments, I just sense that we're patching for bugs and performance issues and potentially patching for game changing behavior, which I just don't think is right, nobody is going to agree on how the game should work, devs, please make that call and lets just deal with what they believe the final game should be.
Also and this is an important aside: I get a strong sense that die-hard fans of the game are having a far greater influence on the direction of this game, while folks like me who are busier or not AS interested, aren't getting a say in the matter, we risk losing the game we're currently getting used to at the expense of those who are very interested in the future of the game. Again, a 'vanilla' version solves this issue. I would hate for the game I originally bought and am learning and beginning to appreciate be morphed into something else in the long-run.
Again, if mods and patches are understood as I've explained them already, then my point is mute, forgive me, I'm just a concerned fan 
