The dev has been"dealing with it" very badly so far and AwAm is not the same game it started out to be and personally I think that that is a bad thing.
Peoples expectations for the game have always been high partly because the dev has been so tight on giving out information
Yes, and he is the one that set those expectations. If his long term goal was the same look as many other games just with a 'real story' behind it then the result was very predictable that things would fall apart. This goes to the concept of 'does he actually have a story written' or is it 'an outline' that he is having to fill in every time. I believe the latter.
His failure to have an actual story completed, that he uses as his truth model for the game, means he needs to rework the story as he goes and that means he misses things or takes literary shortcuts when he boxes himself in a corner. If he had a full story he would always have the option of rewriting a section for Fan preferences or just he sees a better way. If he only has an outline then he loses the continuity of the story at the small scale as he makes large scale adjustments in the outline.
I think we see this with the spider web of paths that are exponentially exploding only to be shut down. (Morello, Bennett, potentially Sam if I read some posts correctly, Cathy / Andy is that another rabbit hole).
Bennett was the serious narcissist that (though I totally hated him) that was the true threat to Sophia's viewpoints. There was never a guarantee 'the board' would see things her way. Apparently Bennett had had success with other mothers. That was definitely a path he could have continued that, no matter how long it took, would have changed Sophia.
Morello was the kicker position for Liam. This was the situation that places Liam on the hot seat not just his lack of time for Sophia and the family or his reticence for another child. Seriously, a Mob boss would wipe that big a dept for a stripper show he could arrange, with a girl on the payroll, to have a 'conjugal visit' with his brother. Another path he opened and then is shutting down.
I just don't think he has it all worked out. He makes the art and adjusts the story to fit. That is his forte. and it is hurting the story/game. IMO
Note this has nothing to do with translation. That is just convenience after he does his final work. Yes it is important for the game community but, it is not a development element.
