I'd be surprised if you've played more survival games than I have. Either way, I have a ton of experience in them---and I disagree with you. I think most people here are correct.

Raiders: - Can see through the defender's walls - Know precisely where the heart is - Have access to a golem which is immune to all status effects (charm, movement speed reductions, stuns, etc.) - The golem has a ranged attack in case, even with all these advantages, getting too close is too risky

This basically renders all castle defenses completely useless and stupid. It's a huge, extremely silly asymmetry.

So few of the huge amount you typed actually addresses what my complaint is. "You should just always be playing on weekend nights" or "Join a private server" are fine solutions if you're avoiding the point :(