Lets say, the minute that something was decided to be a feature, at what point do they include the community?

The second they decide?
When they have the design goals for the feature?
When they have the code in draft form?
When they have proved the principle of the design goals on a working play-test?
When they are finalizing the code for the new feature?
When they are bug testing the design/feature?
When they are theory testing the design goals of the new feature and its relationship to other older features?
When they are about to finalize a content lock on the coming update?
When they decide they can combine a few additional features around the same code creating a bigger feature?
After they code lock the coming update?

All of these are happening along a dynamic development timeline. If they DID include some FORUM based community feedback...

Who would they listen to?
How long would they have to listen?
How would they prove they listened?
How would we be sure they listened?
How are they accountable for changes if we say 'scrap it'?

Including such random voices as "the community" would really cause too much noise for a designer. Feedback has to be well articulated and focused.

Inevitably, we would hear about new features under development and want feature x.1 x.2 and x.3 as well with no understanding behind the teamwork, capabilities, resources, and restrictions of the managers and technicians working on whatever is proposed.

da truf

Eve has SiSi where features can be tested and as i said most sticky posts on the eve-o forums are for iteration stuff.

Start linking then. i concede to you if you reach 50 links. And i mean features, like the new scanning interface and stuff, and not devblogs where they proposed number changes to stuff that already existed in game, and that them goons math people dissected after a week and proved bullshit.