This discussion comes cyclically every year.
Although the apparent majority of gamers say they clearly prefer games with a male protagonist, a good portion of the most popular and beloved games have a female protagonist (AEA, LOTV, AWAM, FB, JOHN, ...) so I think the first reason why people don't let this game go is because it has this tag that is increasingly hard to find, especially with solid stories and well-crafted renders.
The second reason I think a lot of people stay despite the pace of production is obviously the quality of the renders. It has already been said a thousand times, but JOHN is probably one of the games with the absolute best quality when it comes to visuals, the same goes for the animations.
Third reason, and this is a purely personal assumption, Stoper is a very clever developer and has constructed a range of possible scenarios that tickle the imagination. Just think of Jess on the beach, personally a scene of her sunbathing completely naked on the beach in the midst of people would blow my mind. The scenes with Parker, among the most appreciated, the intern nerd at work and the scene in the bathroom with the little boy. There is the basis for many scenes that if developed could take the game to the podium.
For all the supporters of the mantra 'quality takes time', it is true. But it is also true that over the years the time gap between the various updates has grown larger and larger, and the 'excuses' for delays more and more frequent and improbable. Maybe just be honest and say "Hey! after years of work I'm starting to lose momentum so game development will slow down" or something like that.
Ultimately, despite everything, I will be waiting for the next update, hoping to see some new renders from time to time and without renewing my Patreon membership.
