That being said...
Obviously the bugs in this game are rampant. Like I said above, I can't say I have personally experienced them, but I don't doubt others have. Every other thread is about either someone's game locking up, saves being corrupted, items being un-droppable (sp?), etc, etc. In addition, the mention of bugs is prevalent in every single review of the game. Now, to be fair, you have finally come out and announced that there is a comprehensive patch on the way. Bravo! However, this patch still ignores the overall fact that you should not have released this game to the market in the state it was in.
So, Obsidian (and Bethesda), I come at you with the following recommendation; and I hope you take what I say to heart.
On May 18th, 2010, Rockstar released Red Dead Redemption to the public. The single player was fantastic, and earned accolades all over the world. Multiplayer, however, was a bug-addled disaster. It was nearly unplayable for three weeks, until Rockstar was finally able to patch it.
On June 22nd, 2010, Rockstar released the previously planned "Outlaws to the End" DLC. For free. Did Rockstar have to do this? Of course not. The multi-player issues had already been fixed via patch. And the loss of revenue they may have incurred (likely very little) due to returns of the game or people holding off on buying it due to negative word-of-mouth from friends would have almost certainly been made up many times over by charging for the DLC. In addition, even though the Rockstar message boards were alive with screams of "I'LL NEVER PLAY A ROCKSTAR GAME AGAIN!", all of those fans kept playing and surely will keep buying Rockstar games.
So then, why did Rockstar offer the download for free? They did it to say "I'm sorry" to all of their fans that they had disappointed with the initial release.
There you go guys. Give us something other than the patch as an "I'm sorry." I think we (the fans) deserve it. Many of us have been with you (both companies!) for YEARS. Hell, I started with Arena back in the day, and I honestly can't tell you how long before that I was playing Black Isle games.
So please guys, don't make us think you are taking us for granted. Give us something. It doesn't have to be huge, but it should be SOMETHING.
Anyway, I know this will probably fall on deaf ears. But I've been stewing over this thought for awhile and I think it would be the best move for everyone involved. It would make the fans happy, show them you care, and give you (as a company) a level of class and distinction that many others lack.
Don't let us down guys.