Thanks! The goal I wanted to achieve concerning the unease due to all the scheming, is to allow every character a role in the plot. I enjoy characters that have a reason to be part of the story, this isn't a dating sim after all. I try to make sure that regardless of how the player perceives each LI, there are always multiple motives for the MC to engage with each of them. And it is up to the players to decide for themselves why the MC do the things he did.
While I'm not happy with the pace of development, that is the reality due to my circumstances. So this allows me to cut down on branching choices and exclusive scenes, and prevent overextending the limits of an engaging story. I know many would wish there are more meaningful choices, but right now at this stage of the story, it doesn't make sense to introduce branches this early. I think it makes way more sense to do it gradually as the story approaches the end, not the other way around.
Now, as to there being too much going on, that is absolutely true. One of my primary concerns is how to exposit all the information there is without losing the players' interest. With how complex and subtle the story is, there is a huge risk that players would lose grip on what is going on and lose interest at various points. This is why I try to make use of as much visual storytelling as possible while limiting the amount of text there is. I want every word to be meaningful and each idea introduced short and concise.
This is why feedback is so important to me. It is hard to gauge if players are still following the story. I try to engage with players more and see what they think of the story after each update. That gives me a sense of where everyone is, and if the convoluted plot still makes sense to people.
