The skeleton should be a game outline that exists in writing, you then systematically flesh it out by actually creating the game, following the plan. I would hope such a thing exists and that he's following it. The real trap is just making things ups as you go, allowing yourself to add entirely new things constantly that weren't planned for, not realizing you've made too many promises to possibly fulfill on your own in less than ten years.
The skeleton of the game has been around for over 7 years and has been improved since then. What makes the game "take a while" is the fact that the player's choices influence the game's path. I've added very few things, most of the things are there because they need to be.
The game doesn't follow a random path, everything is written and very well written, the problem is that no one, besides me and a few collaborators, knows the real plot of the game. You think it's something simple, about a drug and about having sex with your little sister.
Besides, what does it matter if the game will be finished in 5 or 10 years? (We have games that have been in production for over 8 years and I don't see anyone complaining). For me the important thing is that there are constant updates full of interesting things to do, I'm trying to bring monthly updates (and I've been doing this for over 4 months in a row) and I think I'm doing a good job so far, much better than many developers who have a simple and stupid story.
