You have no reason to believe these are exactly the same people. Seems to me you are conflating them because you want to shit on people using guides and at the same time excuse yourself for being an ass because “tHey ArE hyPOcrItEs”.
Even if you were right, what is the problem with people wanting mechanical difficulty and using guides to learn how to master it?
I have played it for a while, albeit shorter than some true veterans, and I am a little bit torn in my opinion about it. The customizations options are great and the story is cool and engaging. However, the game feels very much grindy overall and you have to win the game to unlock higher difficulty settings, which is a bit boring in my opinion. Also, the loot from some early bosses are better than what comes later for certain builds, meaning you have to return back to areas you have passed through and grind the same bosses again for better versions of the same loot that you already have, which is also a tad boring. I’ve also had some weird stuttering issues on Linux. Otherwise, great game and I recommend trying it!
If you are a penguin I would recommend GamingOnLinux. I think it is more or less a one man operation, however contrasting to IGN and the likes I also think that is a good thing.
Get the Ashes of Erebus mod for Civilization IV instead!