I didn't say NLT was going to milk patrons only asked whether it could look as if he was by charging people monthly subs without providing the expected amount of content they were used to. The bonus updates are about half the size, or less, than the game updates but patrons are paying the same monthly charge which some might consider as milking. It depends how you look at it: paying a fee for a certain amount of expected monthly content on a regular basis or supporting a developer to enable him produce content irrespective of time, delivery and quantity. I suspect that patrons used to receiving a certain amount of content for their money every month won't be happy paying the same subscription, as before, if that content gets reduced, for a long period, and might stop paying subs until the situation improves. In fact I think the reduction in output from NLT, as per the flimsy bonus stuff, is what made him drop in Patreon rankings from number 3 adult developer (over 15,000 patorns), where he had been for years, to number 7 adult developer (12,796 patrons) based on paying members, a significant loss in revenue if the ones jumping ship turned out to be upper tier patrons who pay fat subscriptions to NLT like clockwork.
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How many more patrons will stop supporting before Symphony of the Serpent begins is anybody's guess. And whether NLT can keep the flow of content going on a regular basis, as before, with the much more technically demanding Symphony of the Serpent has yet to be tested. Based on what I've heard the new game is supposed to have a lot more going for it besides the things you mentioned. (Let's just say that the updates will be much bigger downloads.) I hope he can pull it off, because he is one of the best, and hasn't finally overreached himself and going to end up in all sorts of trouble.