Glad to hear that you're in a comfortable spot changing the mechanics.
I possibly would've enjoyed it either way, but I do believe that you will have an easier time attracting fans and future patrons by avoiding a sandbox. The reported benefits of one (greater perceived player agency, easier time integrating side content) sadly don't outweigh the negatives people have come to expect of it: namely grinding of events or repeated checking of locations to advance the plot. Even if there wasn't a single stat to gain or scene to repeat, some (perhaps even many) people will assume that you chose the format to stretch the content. And they may not stay long enough to be proven otherwise.
The ideal mechanic in my book is somewhat of a middle ground between kinetic novel and sandbox: a VN with nonlinear gameplay elements whose choices impact the character, which allows choosing of scenes and trying different approaches to them, and offers multiple paths through it's story.
That being said, I really like the renders and the story so far and am looking forward to more. Especially of Sasha and Kathryn. Speaking of them, I noticed some minor issues:
Thanks for bringing this to my attention! I'll add it to my list of fixes.
