Disappointing news for sure.
Perhaps you can create a new game to try to get some support going? A small "practice" game to work on your skills. Or team-up with a more experienced dev to make the renders. SuperWriter is on your team, isn't he? He has multiple games, can he not do renders for this? Or PTOLEMY, who also works on multiple games, who you've worked with?
Or teach yourself to do the rendering, and ask one of the previous devs I mentioned to write it. You don't really need a "team" to make a game, as you note most do it solo. This wouldn't be the first game to start with a team, and then have it be a solo or two person operation.
I understand the financials issues, but those issues won't be solved just because you get a team together. Chatter wanted the game to be a certain way, and I understand wanting to make it like he wanted, but the thing is...you don't have to do that. Make it your game, because for all practical reasons, it is now. And honestly, wanting to make it like he wanted it isn't realistic. This game was a pretty complex first game, it has several LI's, routes and to this point, an unknown plot with the religious stuff and the stalker. I don't think it's a bad thing if you need to redo parts of that to make it more manageable.
The fanbase of this game is loyal, so while it may be small, it'll support your efforts even if you have to go away from the "canon" storyline/complexity to get an end product. Perfect is the enemy of good, after all. I think most of, if not almost all, fans would rather you do that than to abandon the game. You may know what CB envisioned the game being... but none of us do. We'll just be happy to play something with Lexi and Co. in it. We play the game for them after all.
