Mass hysteria and confusion...
First, to whomever posted this update--thanks!
Second, to whomever posted this update, but didn't include any guide on how to import, start, use old saves, etc....well, still thanks, but there are a lot of blanks to fill in. I'll start working on how to get this to work, but someone needs to put a notation on the OP that one can't use old saves...at least for the time being.
EDIT:
Moving old saves from the original \Renpy\COTV2-1596215784 folder into the new \Renpy\COTV2-v.99 folder does not work (ie, the game recognizes the files, but attempting to open one results in crash).
The "Save Import" function does not work for me. "The data from the first episode of the game was not found. Run the updated version of the first episode and try exporting your saves again."
That leaves the option of custom start (ie, answering questions to determine stats).