Dear lhender,
Thank you for your kind words! I deeply value player feedback and criticism. Since this isn't a commercial game, I believe all progress stems from the dialogue between players and myself. Without this input, both the game and I as a developer would stagnate - a terrifying prospect.
It's great to see we're on the same page about ditching branching narratives. Given my current circumstances and future development plans, I'm genuinely hesitant to create branching content I might lose control over entirely down the line. The game is still in its early stages, where every step matters. I'd rather focus on a single storyline to build experience first. I'm very interested in the AVN games you mentioned, like Out of Touch and Cozy Cafe, and plan to study their narrative strategies in my free time.
I hope this game will meet your expectations!