as a coder AND a developer (since some people believe there is a distinction, which there isnt) my only problem with the release of a17e is that you are treating the current development as a pre-pre-alpha. to break it down, a17 is Alpha 17, a17-e is a pre-alpha, i watch steam.info and i watch the daily updates that are being added; there is nothing wrong with running the Early Release as you have been doing for alphas before calling them beta (which should honestly be the true Early Release versions) but to hold up promised release on a pre-alpha is ridiculous. You should terminate the development forum and any advertisement altogether until you are ready to AT LEAST drop a17e and quite honestly you shouldnt drop an a17e release. its a very serious problem with startup companies today.. "ooh we want to keep them on the line so we will create several generations of pre-pre-pre-pre-pre (you get the point) alphas and bait them along." Either you have a product or you do not.. dont even MENTION an 17 until you are AT LEAST ready to push the a17e. idk about you but i am 46, i come from old school programming. Alpha is in-house ONLY. Beta is released to qualified participants that can actually offer insight and qualified bug reports; and then there is release. You have been selling Alpha builds for YEARS now, you have no right to get upset or spite anyone who complains about those releases, you NEVER should have released them to begin with. stop sapping your potential market with this crap.. I absolutely, POSITIVELY, promise you, you will NEVER sell another title so long as anyone who has been "involved" with your project via Early Release has anything to say about it.
I am not saying you are not developing a great game here, and I am not entirely saying I am upset i got in early; but i AM saying that if TFP ever attempts to sell an early release of any other title, i do not care how great it is, I **WILL** ♥♥♥♥-block your ass and campaign against anyone buying into it. It's pitiful... hardly a Duke Nukem 3D event, but damn close. Either step it up, or step the f* out.