What did you imagine the game would be during the kickstart

I thought it would be more like an updated version of Populous with some Sims mixed in. Give me what made both those games great and amp it up, that is what would have rocked.

I've mentioned this before, but I came from a pretty weird angle on this whole matter. I'd never played Civ (only Alpha Centauri), so my closest reference for age progression was in the form of Age of [Empires/Mythology] and Empire Earth. Similarly, my only experience with god games up to that point was in the form of a small bit of Populous: The Beginning and a more decent amount of Black & White 2. As such, in my head I envisioned a more divinely oriented version of Empire Earth/Age of games. Less micromanagement, more flying around causing disasters and occasionally bending the land to help my people (spawning resources for them, etc.).

not a f2p cow clicker

I'm so glad I didn't. But if if I'd have hoped with a game with a mix of strategic depth and creativity.

I can tell you what I didn't imagine it as. a shallow, multi-tier'd F2P waitfest.
It really is quite disappointing to see this released on iOS as a complete game that "will evolve over time".
During the early months of the Kickstarter I did my best to conceptualize a mix between Populous, Dungeon Keeper, and other Molyneux games. I never imagined we'd be where we are now.

I think one of the biggest departures of what I imagined to where we are now is just how restrictive the gameplay is. I imagined a Molyneux-ish world where I could set my imagination free. Do whatever I want, act like a true god. Instead I wait for this, I wait for that, and lets be honest... you don't actually DO much of anything in Godus right now except flatten land, collect resources, flatten land, collect resources, etc...

It really is hard for me to understand, that decades later, I have in my hands a beta of a game that is less interesting to me than the original Populous. 

So basicly everyone expected some for of buildup from the referenced games. Rather than taking a single core concept, dumbing it down and then selling it for micro-transaction space change to the masses.

Which makes sense given the context, most 'reimaginings of *game*/*genre*' do that.
Most kickstarters/crowdfunded titles and SEA games do that...
On the whole I don't think I've seen many mobile games being funded through crowdfunding, especially not F2P ones.

Which leads to the question - what the HELL was Peter thinking when he put his idea up on kickstarter... And how did that lead to where we are now.
Moreover, how in the world does he live with himself knowing that he basicly lied to all these people. (Sorry, the "but you've got a lifelong subscription, perhaps we'll get there 50 years from now" doesn't cut it, and I doubt it makes him sleep better at night either.)

It's funny because it's unfortunately incredibly accurate.

a game, as opposed to the iOS cash extruder they imagined they were making, so double fail.

A game where I could influence my followers in various ways - make a path they would naturally follow, clear land and they would make a house, punish them for making a house and they will make a tree house, punish them for killing an animal and they stop killing those animals (not with one click, but with training - punish one, then another, then another until they all learn not to do the thing), conversely reward them for doing something to encourage them to do more of that thing (maybe I reward them for building monuments, or red buildings, or blue buildings or killing other people, or whatever).

A game where my followers had real-enough AI that they *could* be taught, and yet retain enough free will that some would occasionally do the bad thing (maybe as simple as a %age random chance).

A game where they would evolve themselves over time, which would let their deity create segregation of red heads from blonds from brunettes, or red buildings from blue buildings etc.

A game where, as a deity, I could instantly change anything I wished (more or less). If I want to make a follower a goat, I can. If I want my blond follower in a blue house to be a brunette in a yellow house, I can do that. If my people build a temple in one spot, I can move it to another. And all of these things are regarded as miraculous by the people. I would expect such things to cost belief.

A game where belief automatically trickled into my belief pool with no extra collection from me required, but influenced by my actions - I encourage my followers to grow and expand which in turn creates more belief, I encourage worship and rites, and at those times I get an influx of belief, I perform a miracle in front of a follower and get an influx of belief.

A game where I can raise or lower land at will. This may coat belief, but I know my belief is constantly trickling in so I can spend it immediately or save it for something big, or use it to influence followers to promote a faster trickle etc.

A game where I could zoom all the way out to see my world and quickly zoom in to any portion of it where I have followers.

A game where my followers slowly expand by themselves - they will build their own boats if needed (and they have advanced enough, and they can get to the water edge), ditto for bridges. They can scale cliffs and try to swim but those activities are dangerous.

There's more, but you get the picture by now.