For participation, no, they're not an accurate way to judge. Some people who tag the tdm won't or have no intention of apping, and some people will app who don't tag the tdm. Either way, one being DOA is never a good start for a game.

But the complaints being made in this thread aren't about the participation. They're about the content. And that definitely should be a good way to judge the game, because it's the first piece of playable material being put forward by the mods.