Would it be possible to release the changed maps and/or writing for the first chapters, and put the skills off for a separate, later patch, even though they're partway done?
This is my case for incremental releases:
1) I'd get to explore the writing you've added bit by bit. This is good because (a) it's less waiting, (b) gives more time to appreciate each piece of writing you've added, and (c) I won't wind up overwhelmed by a sudden deluge of everything dropping in at once.
2) Players spend less time between updates whose content they might miss entirely. The idea here is that it's easier to wait on stuff for yourself than on stuff for other people.
Suppose some player is only going to go through the game as Adventurer. They may feel fine waiting on Adventurer updates or general game content updates, but if a lot of time goes into rebalancing Ranger, Mage, Slayer, etc., they get cranky.
Note: This could be partially combated by a cross-class scene unlock triggered upon achieving certain milestones. E.g., if a player beats the game, or loses to (Paranoia||Barmaid||SecretBossX) as a Slayer, she can now go to some console/magic-pool-of-reflection/crystal-ball and view what would have happened if she were some other class.
It could conversely be argued that this type of feature would diminish replay value. I feel it's a weak argument. This is because you said you're primarily a writer. With that in mind, it would be tragic for people short on time (or patience for retreading content as several classes) to miss out on your excellent writing.
Either way, I still check this thread pretty much daily for updates. Keep up the good work.
