(A little bit off-topic, I think.)
I usually stay off of these topics and for a very good reason.
Maybe OP @mireo exaggerated a little bit. I have not seen people droning off en mass because they can’t choose x, y and z. But let’s not pretend these kinds of comments doesn’t exist or that they are rare. Just start any opinion thread and will see it pop up every now and then: “I cannot play this game because I can’t play as x, y and z.” And sometimes it’s said in an accusatory or passive-aggressive way.
Now hear me out, I’m not saying it viciously. Readers have their reason and are entitled to their opinion, time and money. I’m not passing judgement, just laying facts on the table. For a writer, it can be disheartening to put your work out there and be turned down by what you see as a minor thing.
There’s no solution because there’s no real problem here. Writers are not entitled to an audience as @DreamingGames said. Readers are not entitled to have every request attended. If a title doesn’t do it for you, shake it off and move on.
Sure, but if it’s the only gallery in miles and miles you might as well try to sell it there first. Interactive fiction is already a niche market. I think the parse games have a wider audience if only for being around longer (as a digital medium). Multiple-choice text-only interactive fiction if even nichier. CoG is already established in this market. They can reach the consumer base much better than a budding author with a tumblr account can on their own.
For readers:
From a guy who’s been through some real shit in life, I have no need to play exactly as myself to enjoy any game. If the main character is a white straight dude or a black lesbian woman, neither will turn me off. Personally, in my opinion (just to be sure), I don’t think this mindset is helpful. Also, if an author doesn’t feel comfortable including a certain option for whatever reason (religious, political, personal, etc) I don’t think they should feel bad about it. Sometimes it’s not just about switching pronouns. You definitely don’t have to agree with it, but if the author is not belligerent, bigot or offensive, just shake it off.
For writers:
There’s an underlying assumption you’re creating a commercial product and the community will give feedback about what they want and expect from the game. This is good! It’s hard, but you need to grow thick skin. Don’t feel disheartened, but be willing to consider the requests. Also, from my professional experience (I’m not a writer btw), the best thing to do is to know your client and manage expectations. You already know what the CoG audience expects, customization options, especially on gender identity and sexual orientation, some alternatives to solve problems in-game, romance options (fantasy is also a popular genre), and preferable control over personality traits. That’s mostly it. You can still have a linear game and be successful, you don’t need to fundamentally change your game to be successful. Take a look at @Brian_Rushton’s great post, some great games mentioned are very linear. If you’re planning on doing something different just state it up-front in your WIP post. You’ll still get some requests for things you said you don’t plan on doing, and might even receive snarky remarks for it, deal with it graciously, and move on.