His storytelling issues didn't really harm Parental Love though, while I think the sandbox style is holding back A69 from becoming a better game. I still think that despite being the earlier game, PL looks far more polished, developed, and immersive than A69. Although the way A69 is set up as "this is all a flashback and you're running around to unlock memories" thing is a part of that. There is no flow from point A to point B in the game. It's "here's point A, then here's point B".
Well, I'd assume, that he recognized his issues during PL, but was 'stuck' with the way he had designed its structure.
I (and he as well for that matter) never said, his current solution were perfect or even had to make sense to anyone else.
This was just what he told us, when he was asked about why he was doing A69 the way he is.
I'm actually with you in that I like the flow of PL better, there are actually very few sandbox games out there I really like or think wouldn't be better without those elements. There are a few like A69 where I'm OK with them, though.
Luxee did a lot to make it less sandboxy by now - and will hopefully continue to do so.
What he said he envisioned was that instead of blending out, from interesting scene to scene, you mostly know what scenes are available and can continue where you like - just like he can continue writing where he likes. From what he said, even sticking to a more classic novel approach (still hoping from scene to scene), the story would still have ended being more disjointed in separate scenes than one large flowing story.
You/I can like that or not, but A69 would most likely never have had a structure similar to PL, and if the sandbox elements we have right now are a technical help for Luxee to develop the story by being more flexible/free in what he writes, I'm all for them - especially knowing all this about how he (didn't) want to tell this story.
Maybe I'll not like what he does with A69 in the end - but I strongly believe him forcing himself working on it in a format he doesn't like and has issues with, wouldn't have made a good A69.
I also don't think he always made the 'right' choices - I was really happy when he initially told us we would have three Nea routes, for I wanted her in my game, but not romantically. Removing my preferred third choice, just one? update later ...
For now, the positive aspects outweigh the negative ones for me personally - but that might change - they almost did already until he reworked the teacher scenes.
