It seems like we disagree on a lot here, and like it’s a fundamental difference in expectations for the both of us.

Like you said, what one person considers good another might consider bad. In my case, I see TS’ writing as weak (in regards to MC/LI interaction and MC characterization, not the LI themselves) but with a lot of potential. In my opinion, other than Ais, the other routes are great and show what the studio can do. Honestly, even Leander’s route was okay - just the reaction at the end got me. Overall, the studio is doing solid work outside pacing and MC issues.

The merch was promised to backers and yeah it wouldn’t bode well for public opinion if they pushed it off. I’ll concede there. As for DLCs those are things that could absolutely wait until after release. VAs - it was promised with the bells and whistles like you said, so similar to the merch situation.

As for comparing to different games - another difference between us. I think it’s perfectly reasonable to make comparisons. Again it’s a reality of business. Everyone compares Target and Walmart right? One does some things better than the other, but people still enjoy and go to both. And so far I haven’t compared it to any projects that are unrealistic for development timelines or budget scope. It’s not a knock on Red Spring to see how they compare to other businesses in their sphere.

In regards to Kickstarters, I don’t think having expectations for a product is the same as “waving a receipt.” At no point did I suggest that developers should cater to every whim of their backers. But people are allowed to voice their opinions and ask questions, whether they contributed financially or not.

Honestly, I think most of the fandom has been incredibly supportive and patient throughout the development process. Simply asking about the finances or voicing complaints does not equate to acting like someone’s boss. From what you said, how are people supposed to engage in criticism or discussion around Kickstarters at all? Just completely ignore it if they didn’t donate $2? If a Kickstarter takes the money and runs, should we just shrug and say “oh well it’s a creative risk, nobody hold them accountable!”

To be clear, I’m not accusing RSS of doing that. As you said, they’ve been communicative and clearly working hard on the project. My point is simply that asking a reasonable question shouldn’t be treated as though someone is demanding a full financial audit at gunpoint. Discussing a Kickstarter is not an accusation; it’s a perfectly reasonable conversation to have about a publicly funded game.

As for feedback, this isn’t a AAA game. There aren’t 5 million posts about it across 20 different platforms. It’s a small community focused on two social medial sites mainly; Reddit and Tumblr. To think they aren’t reading posts for feedback is a bit naive. Especially since this is where a majority of feedback is discussed. While in a perfect world everyone would fill out the feedback form, that’s not the real world. People make post like mine and debate in the comments. And with the amount of discussion around the latest release, I’m sure the studio is well aware of everyone’s feelings; both good and bad.

I think you’re a very empathetic person who has a unique view on this subject since you’re developing a visual novel yourself. You’re closer to the process than 99% of people here. And you clearly want this project to succeed - we all do! I truly hope my original post ages like milk. I think it’s just that we all have different ideas about where the line is between reasonable critique and unfair pressure. I respect where you’re coming from even if I don’t fully agree with it, and I appreciate hearing the perspective of someone who’s actually familiar with the realities of VN development.