I'm not arguing, there is logic in your words: more paths, more time to develop individual events, etc.
But there is a small BUT!
The update that came out before this huge party already had a three-path split and different events and moments depending on the choices. But it didn't take 6 months to develop!
I will once again emphasize that returning to the previous schedule was the developer's word.
As i already said, 6 months is better than a year, but it turns out to be a carrot and stick approach: first dev increase the production time from 3.5-4.5 months to a year, and then dev reduce it back to 6 months. It seems like development time has been cut in half, but it all depends on who you ask and how they look at things!
I won't return to this topic anymore if 6 months is the final figure. If it increases, we can revisit this topic!
I have always liked this game, i always played three paths in it. But this big, long-awaited update was disappointing for me! Just like the GTA 6 delay by a year!
I like Kiten's path the most! It's the most believable path in this game, and it fits the characters' behavior and personality! But I always play the CuckQueen's Path first because it has sex scenes with characters who are not available in other routes, like Rachel, Evelyn, etc. For me, the last one is Siren Path. I play just to see a different perspective, and here everything is implausible. Ash, despite her modesty and shyness, behaves like a super alpha—it's not in her character.
To each their own but, while I understand your reasoning, I don't think the development of episode 6 is comparable to episode 5, even if it already took into account the 3 different branches. During the party, almost every single scene has 3 alternatives depending on the route, plus also taking into account if you partake in the drinking game or not, which stripper you choose, if you win or not, how drunk or sober Ashe is... I do believe that the next update will take little less time, but seeing how this one unfolded, it makes perfect sense to me how much Morrigan had to work on it.
As for the routes, it's up to preferences, so we're all a bit biased in that regard. I hate NTR, which is why I'll never even try the cuckquean route, and this is still one of my favorite AVNs. As to why I won't try that path, aside for my personal distate for the genre, it's simply because absolutely every single character does a 180 to the point in which it feels like an alternate universe. Sure, for the sake of the genre it makes sense for characters to do and behave a certain way, but it just feels as if they're different people, oftentimes contradicting what they've shown during four episodes. Plus, for me it's always been a no-no to watch sex scenes of characters before they're involved with my MC. Then again, like I said, this is a personal preference.
In terms of Kitten and Siren, they're definitely the best routes for me, but I disagree in the view of thinking that the Siren path makes Ashe some super alpha being, or at least one in which her character doesn't make sense. She's not alpha at all, just curious, confident and assertive. I see it more as a rebellion of being encapsulated for so long, she's taken too much shit already, and the blackmail from Mrs. X and the threat from Natasha were the last straw. You actually still see her insecure, and even afraid of certain things. However, with those she's already comfortable with, or with those whom she's had enough with (like Isabella), she'll start to behave however she feels like, no prejudices, no more second-guessing. Again, that's not some alpha behaviour to me, she's nothing like Cleo or, worse yet, Natasha. She doesn't force anyone to do anything, she also doesn't hesitate to be vulnerable when the need arises. She's still her own 'shy' self, but she's also breaking out of her shell, which is why I love that path, and why I think it's going to be really interesting to see how she deals with the exposure she's suffered in the Siren route.
. It's not impossible just highly unlikely.
