Interesting concept Ducky, After reading this. I had a thought also. Maybe there's something dark going on to protect the island and what goes on there maybe? For example my game Alice started the game was on the island maybe 70 plus days. I send her home. She returns and acts like she just met me. Hmmm. Is her memories erased prior to leaving the island by say those pills available at the island? once she's back another pill taken and she acts like she never left..Weird
Stateless vs. Stateful, and the Sandbox
The sandbox content is stateless, which is to say it retains no state (memory).
To make it stateful (remember things) would require duplication of code checks and dialogue (and a lot of renders)
Something which, short of a second developer doing it full time, is impossible.
So that is a
technical limitation.
The stateful sandbox
Some (limited) degree of state will be introduced over time in the sandbox.
This can be seen in the newer arrival scenes when a girl comes back (Heather, Eva), there the girls are aware (to some degree). But it will be within the limitations time and resources impose (and where it makes sense).
The sandbox at large will remain without a state, it cannot be otherwise.
The story, the individual epic quests and future content will drive the stateful content.
Joy
We know Joy because Darkhound has explained it here and there over the years.
So while it can change, my description is fairly accurate for how things are right now, she decides, her maze, not ours.