The dev is basically making "fake updates" and passing them off as balancing and tweaks.
Adding new content and mechanics and extending what is already there isn't "fake updates". The custom slave shop is actually a nice addition. Its true that the story hasn't progressed in months but it doesn't mean the game is dead either. Helena and soon, the Enforcers, were Patreon promises she made a while ago and while some people may not like it, or question whether they are still relevant, when you make a promise to your supporters it's usually wise to keep your end of the deal.
I understand the skepticism, I too have my complaints about this game. Inno rarely respects her own deadlines, she spends too much time on side stuff, a lot of the content feels shallow, a team would help speed things up and mod templates should be a priority. However, its in poor taste to shit on a developer for not making progress, and calling their game "abandoned", when that's actually one of the things they have been delivering on a regular basis. Opinions aside, side-content is still content. I know there are some developers out there who milk their fans with a tiny patch every few of months to justify their subscription, however, LT is not one of those cases yet. Inno is still quite invested in this game, even if her pace is slow and her priorities are sometimes questionable.
This game is still quite early in development and is still going to suffer many revamps and tweaks. A lot of stuff is missing and the rest is just placeholders. If you came here for the story, a particular fetish or were expecting a rich, fully functional and mostly bug-free experience then I'm afraid this game isn't for you. Yet. Come back in a few years.