made a big post, deleted it because i decided to just make a simple response.
tldr, people don't usually read the comments, or even post, or read spoilered things in the summary.
you've openly stated your not changing most of what people are saying is bad, because you want it "old school puzzle style". that style of gaming isn't done anymore, specifically because it was shit design.
the biggest issues are the literal hours of grind you need to do to get anything done, and the lack of direction. you want sandbox done properly for a porn game? look at games like summertime saga (as shitty as that dev is for milking his payers for literally years with next to no progress). or taffy tales. friends of mine, and my demon friend, are two html games that do semi-open worlds.
overall, you need to have actual guidence of what to do. sandbox games are failures in gaming for a reason, if you don't tell people some of what TO do, they don't know what they CAN do, and they get bored trying to figure it all out.
and boredom is not something you want for a game, let alone a porn game.
I agree with what you say there totally.. which is why I implemented the idea of quests instead of events (or actually aswell as events).
So the quests are kinda you guide to where the most content is.. while the sandbox style of being able to talk to everyone will give you some other lesser content.. and the events that are not quests are flag posted on the npc profile page.
Where I would disagree to an extent is that I think there is a demand for this style of game, I dont for a second believe its the bigger demand.. but I also do feel that there is plenety of content (good content) out there for people who want something that is not this style.. I dont want to put down any other style of game or belittle it.. but I think it would be easier and I would have an easier life if I just built a visual novel which with in 10 clicks of being introduced to a charector (be its teacher / mother / sister or whomever) they are knickers down bent over and taking it....
For me, one of the ultimate sandbox games is girl life.. That is many many years developed now. but still I would say there are two main issues for me with it (these may not be an issue for others).
They rarely stick to the same actor for a charector.. You take a shower in that, and you could be 1 of 100 different bodies.
I know why they do that (and i know even more so now that I have tried to build something the other way).
But for me I fall out of the illusion of the game a little when random porn is used that just fits the scene.
The second is what you have already highlight where you feel my game is lacking.. and thats direction... unless I have missed something massive about girl life, there is no in game direction to any content. Now I dont mind that to a degree.. But I tend to feel like I have either missed alot of the game, or the game does not have the content it must have at this point of its development (and its a community developing it too)..
This is where I had hoped the quests I was adding was going to help direct the player to some of the content while still giving them a nice suprise when they stubble over an event they didnt know existed..
I would like to think I have included alot of extra features that people have stated as missing from its first release (and thats only 3 versions ago now).. And I have already laid out a plan to help the people who want a more "hand held" approach to the quests with a walk through mode..
I will again think you for taking the time to feedback as I do listen and I do take on board. and I do try to explain..
And I do appreciate your more detailed feedback instead of "the ui is shit" feedback...