If fans are happy to have a wait of up to 5 years between connected scenes & events & if they're O.K. with a projected finish for AWAM between 2040-2050, that's great. Nobody disputes the quality of renders & much of the writing is better than average. Sometimes it's very good. There are many good things about the project, with individuals having their own ideas on what these are. It stands to reason, otherwise there would have been a mass exodus from Patreon. There wouldn't be a welter of theories & speculations, increasing exponentially, when any render or information is released.
Perhaps the Dev shouldn't have made promises to hire a team after achieving a certain number of Patrons & remuneration, only to move the goalposts on reaching that particular goal. He certainly could have chosen not to promise faster updates on several occasions over the 5 years of AWAM's existence, only to slow down development instead, each time.
He could have made things easier on himself by deciding not to include as many fetishes as possible, to focus on a few key characters rather than developing a cast numbering over 70, or maybe he might have opted for fewer storylines, instead of steadily adding more routes & even side jobs
I don't quite understand why there is a question of L&P's status as an amateur or professional. He makes quality renders, which have rarely looked amateurish & he receives payment for doing so. [Patrons are customers with no control over delivery, as were the Patrons of many Renaissance artists. I won't split hairs on this. They pay in the hopes of receiving something...that's the deal]. That makes him a professional. 3D game creation is not a profession in the sense of being an architect or engineer. There are no specific recognised apprenticeships, qualifications, or letters after the name. Anyone who succeeds in making decent money from their efforts, even though learning by trial & error, as well as by 'doing' is, ergo, a professional by default, however others may regard their position.
After all this time it might have been thought that some other elements of professionalism would have been noticeable in AWAM's case. These could include, timely delivery, a target date for completion, genuine customer care, good communications....the list goes on but no these elements do not exist. So maybe I've just destroyed my own contention & who we're talking about is indeed an amateur.
