ya know, L&P gets a lot of heat in this thread and I've even been adding to it more than defending him.
However, I have to give L&P credit for this reply, I think it's the most honest I have ever seen L&P be. He is not wrong that it would cost a small fortune to hire people to help with AWAM.
Also, it is good to see him acknowledge that he has to think about how to speed things up.
He is rather committed to everything he has added, and with the benefit of hindsight now, he probably wouldn't have started events that have no influence, until after the main story finished.
This is probably why L&P didn't do the coaching side story with Sophia, it makes sense and as a developer, it's a damn good lesson for me to benefit from.
The animations could have been added in after the main story finished but whether he does it now or in future, he still has to pay for them at some point. It's not like the animations are bad, they're mostly really great so far.
I have my own issues with AWAM but credit when credit is deserved, this was a pretty good reply by L&P.
It could have been a good statement if he actually stood by it. The sidejobs are still there and he's planning to continue making them. Mind you this statement is from November 23, back when he still wanted to take a break from development after PD13 to work on a Steamtrailer+release (to hire a team with the money from Steam, by the way....lol). Oh surprise, nothing ever came out of it (just like the statement).
L&P said he's received "millions" of e-mails to keep the sidejobs. Do we believe his words, or is this whole thing just another festival of bullshit? *try and make yourself look good with the statement first, then throw it all out the window blaming "e-mails from supporters"*
Literally the same thing he's been doing when talking about hiring people. "This year I'll hire someone" - "Ooops, I can't find anyone", or "It's too expensive". A couple months later, repeat the same shit.
So anyway, I'm really questioning as to what you wanna give him credit for here. Nothing he's said in this statement is actually happening. Him saying he wants to find ways to speed things up, but then everything is getting even slower, I don't think there's any credit to be given. ESPECIALLY since he's been saying for years that he has "ideas and plans" to speed things up, except it's never happening.
Also, when you say it would cost him a fortune to hire people, that is straight up wrong. Writers and Editors (post-work) are very much affordable. As mentioned plenty times before, the guy makes ATLEAST ~$15.000 a month. If someone with that kind of income actually intended to do something, he could do it. But he won't.