Star Trek TOS didn't really change it's formula after the fans saving it though, it took them 'til the movies and TNG to really produce the Star Trek we know and love today (which is to say, everything until Voyager [cringe]).
Not sure if what the fans want is all that important to them, during all the patches they made thr AI even more aggressive, completely contradictory to the well voiced opinion of fans that it was far too aggresive already.
And the complaints of the AI being terrible at naval combat where fixed by nerfing ships.
If you really want to do a massve fan send in for an expansion, don't just tell them the problems but also exactly what and how you want it.
Clearly letting them figure out solutions to our problems for themselves is a terrible idea.
And as far as them listening to fans for what to add, I find it hard to believe the DLC's where constructed with the fans in mind, just going by their 1 dimensional policy of following the "make new Civ, add couple maps, done" formula.