We are really honored to see people wanting to see Early Access for this game.
I admit, I may have let my personal biases come into play here as I've gotten really sour on early access over the last few years and assumed, perhaps wrongly, you guys felt the same.
I feel like too many developers are just using early access as a way to make quick money without delivering on the game.
I can fully understand the reticence of using EA in these days. There truly is a bunch of garbage out there that is likely to never see a Ver. 1.0. But I have purchased early access on numerous titles that have all come to a true, and typically fun, Ver. 1.0. One of the most recent, as well as a game I'd sunk a couple hundred hours in prior to Ver. 1 is the recently (well, a few long months now) release of Soulstone Survivors. An amazingly fun twist on the Hades-style while (unlike about 30K other games with such a claim) actually provides a unique and engaging experience. I was an EA player on Epic platform for Hades, as well. Hades II is in my collection of EA games on Steam. I even sponsored the original Divinity Original Sin when it was on Kickstarter oh so very long ago. Oh, and, even though it was almost two years before I got my physical property, I was an early Kickstarter for Heavy's Headphones (designed for those of us who, even in our 60s, still listen to extreme metal music).
And perhaps that is part of it: my age. I am 60. I do not post here on this or frankly on almost any Forum/Discussion boards, or to any social media at all. I don't engage with Twitch or X/Twitter or Instagram or any of it. I just can't be bothered when my precious time can be spent enjoying life. So, maybe I don't read about or hear the horror stories surrounding those who have been duped by bad actors. I've been exceptionally careful in curating what games are deserving of what little money I have.
I'm handicapped and am extremely limited in my mobility. Fortunately, I can still use both of my hands, but not my left arm or everything to the left of my spinal column both posterior and anterior. only my hand was spared. So, I can only use my right hand to type because my left arm cannot elevate or separate from close to my torso without great pain.
Trust me, there are games I've passed on EA because they just didn't look to be honorable businesses. But I think not a single one I've put my money down on in EA has failed to come to Ver. 1 and keep on going. There are good actors out there and certainly Stardock is one of them.
I hope your in-house discussions should take a turn for the EA accessway. I still load up Sorcerer King here and there. tough little bugger of a game, but not nearly so as any Gal Civ, which I love, too. Heck, I'm part of the 0.5% of Gal Civ III players to earn the Revenge is Ours achievement (Snathi victory), and part of the 1% who have the Drengin Supremacy achievement. Those achievements, esp. the Snathi, can always make me smile. And to think I was a Founder... 
Being part of founding a game (like Slime Rancher, which I did), can be a great deal of fun and allow you to see how things grow and progress. It's a special feeling.
May peace and prosperity be upon you and all those you hold dear,
Steven
