Before all that, a question - can the dev please post a dev road-map (past, current, future pre-release, release, and post-release) as a sticky (either the info is in there, or link to it - perhaps a Google spreadsheet?).
I already posted a few weeks ago on Steam discussions that I'll get RW once it's off sale, because what I've seen on YT vids and read about, it looked promising to me then (and still does) and so I waited because I wanted to pay the full amount to support the dev a bit more. I said back then on the Steam discussions, I think the dev should change the price (if that's possible) at least a bit.
For the purpose of a better understanding of my experience and opinions about RW, I run RW on maximum detail (everything is set to its maximum value) - here're my core system specs: i7-4790K, 32GB RAM, EVGA Titan X w/ trilpe-head (so far I ran it on 1920x1080, just now on 5900 x 1080 and runs the same way too).
Also, to understand my input, these are the other survival / building games I have experience with -
first person: 7D2D, ARK, The Long Dark (I was also thinking about getting Rust, but it just doesn't appeal to me so far)
non-first-person: Don't Starve Together, Crea, Edge of Space, Signs of Life, Terraria, Minecraft (on phone)
top-down w/ management: Factorio (the best IMO), Banished, Planetbase, Timber and Stone
Now to my experience w/ RW so far, my thoughts and ideas:
I like the graphics a lot, reminds me of 7D2D (even though before the a12 patch). I have no performance issues experienced so far, everything's buttery smooth, which is very important (can't say the same for ARK, so far, although it's passable) - perhaps it runs even a bit better than 7D2D (a12.x).
A few things I have noticed and I'd like to have changed about the graphics:
* The movement of grass looks nice further away, but up close the top just goes around in circles in the same direction all the time) - maybe add some randomness of how much it moves (speed, direction, radius, not just radial but also ellipsoid, ...) so it looks more natural.
* Variation of grass types / height - maybe make it just a bit lower in general.
Crafting and materials:
* IMO would be best to stick to a proven crafting mechanism - I like 7D2D best in general (compared to ARK), but I don't like that you can just craft "in mid air" - I prefer that you'd have to be close to a workbench or other crafting station, like in Terraria and such, for the crafting that requires such. For lumber and sticks, IMO it'd be cool if you'd have to put down a log first and split the wood on it - but that's maybe for post-release, just adds more to realism and immersion.
* I like the way you create basic elements of "a block" in 7D2D, IMO it makes sense but could be improved upon the way this works.
* Instead of crafting for example a bed as a whole, how about that you'd have to use various crafting stations to create the bits and pieces of it - metal frame in one, the mattress in another for fabric related crafting (sewing), ... and in the end you put them together by placing the metal frame down and then the mattress on top (btw I hate spring mattresses - memory foam FTW 
- that reminds me, I hope RW will allow in the future (but within version 1.0) to develop more advanced crafting stations, for electrical, electronical, biological and chemical engineering). Or for other objects that are made of various materials but are one object, let's say a metal base shovel with a wooden handle, you'd have to craft the metal part at one station, the wood part at another and then put both together and secure them w/ screws / nails / zip ties (lol) at a general workbench.
* Also that you need to have respective tools active / in your inventory while you do that crafting - not a huge thing ATM, but would IMO add to realism and therefore immersion.
Object placement:
* I haven't explored in detail yet how all that works but I crafted a torch holder and put a torch in it - I like that a lot, great idea! (opposed to how it works in 7D2D where you just slap the torch or candle onto a wall lol) - I hope there are / will be wall mounts available too.
* In general I think it'd be cool if you're required to have either nails or screws, plus the equivalent tool, to fasten wall mounts - and that certain ways of mounting only works on certain types of material (such as, you can't use nails or screws in dirt walls, but you'd have to use wooden sticks / stakes for that; or you have to use screws to mount something on stone walls) - there's probably a bunch where this can be expanded upon now, and in the future (such as the use of more advanced materials, such as either natural glue (from trees) or stronger glue, produced chemically).
Variety of materials / biomes / water:
* Sand - IDK if there's sand in RW yet, perhaps not, due to that requiring a beach / desert biome?
* Water - please dev, solely focus on adding that ASAP, instead of a variety of biomes; IMO water (lakes mainly) is much more important than general biomes.
* Biomes (desert / sand, snow / ice, ...) at some point would be nice, but IMO that's not as much of a priority as water sources themselves.
Physics:
IDK yet much about that - is there stuff (as in 7D2D, but hopefully not as broken as it is in a12.x ATM) like per-block / item durability and load / weight capability / capacity? Structural integrity?
This is it so far. Thanks for reading and I look forward to any questions or answers - and of course, further RW patches with improvements!
