It's a matter of perspective. 99.9% is basically realistic since it depends on the story that is being told. And if the main characters aren't home, there is 0 need for the kids to be there outside of written lines. If they are home? They don't need to be front and centre, either. They can have similar background appearances as all those random things in the background, being there. But not being focused as is. They didn't take much as is to make. Most of the time, there isn't much need for that much movement depending on what they do either.
As for TRS2, I only render it at this stage, and it has been written and completed text-wise. Been for a month or so. And my brain never rests...
The funny thing is there isn't that much difference between the amounts of characters between TRS and Sorcerer. If I counted it correctly ages ago, I think TRS2 has maybe four more "meaningful" characters over Sorcerer. But I get what you mean, and it always depends on the story being told. Sorcerer 2 doesn't need as large an expansion to the "romantic" cast as TRS2 did since the core is there already. Outside of those affairs? Think of a politician; they encounter hundreds of people during their work, and there can be easily twenty people they need to meet daily basis. Leading a house isn't much different. So what is needed is needed.
But when you look at it from the outside, it looks like a colossal amount of work. It isn't, and it always depends on the story being told and what kind of scene is being done. If it is a scene during the daytime, it usually is at work (potentially) or somewhere else away from home where the kids aren't "allowed"; they aren't going to take them to the association or meet Bruce. Is it morning at home? Some of them can be eating breakfast in the kitchen. Or playing outside, or being on the computer/console. Or just sleeping on the couch or something in the evening. At the moment, I can comfortably render 16 or so characters in the same scene if I want or need to, and rarely all the cast needs to be on the same scene at the same time.
Simplest example. Alexander visits Maera, the kids come to greet him, some stuff with them, and then they are ushered out of the room because there are things that need to be discussed. The kids will be annoyed, but they will obey. Or Alexander goes to visit, let's say Susan, and he brings the kid he had with Miyuki with him. After greeting, the kids go play together because it's more fun than hanging around adults who talk about boring stuff. And if, for some reason, Susan didn't have a kid with the MC? You can start the scene from the bit where the kids aren't in the room. Or have a movie night/evening at the end of the day, Miyuki, Oriana, Alexander and their kids in front of the TV. Done. Time skip and have a sex scene with either Miyuki or Oriana (or both, not that neither of them were bi). If there aren't kids for some reason, you can skip the TV scene. All of those are "small touches" and can happen randomly, and frequency is unknown until I make them. It doesn't need to be a huge couple hundred renders scene. Small touches. Important things, but not the focus.
And realistically, Sorcerer wasn't exactly built to have a sequel in mind as is. It doesn't need to. And outside of a handful of characters, the kid is a kid. At a distance, it doesn't matter if they are in the background who they are. Especially when we are talking about Daz stuff, they all look the same no matter what you do outside of skin tone.
As I said, my brain never rests...
But what i can say is that all his games are engaging and well written!
