I don’t work in the industry and I could be way off here. But aren’t some of the developers hired on as a type of contract worker to finish a big game and well aware that if the next project isn’t lined up perfectly, it’s impossible to house that many employees. That’s how our construction industry is. Companies have to hire on and then trim the fat as needed.
I was at around 55 hrs during endgame, which was finishing the main story line after doing most of the side quests. I think I had 1 main base with 10 - 20 buildings and equipment. I was playing on a series S. I am boggled you didn’t have many crashes, I’ve seen hundreds of reports of similar issues when I was trying to figure out what was going on.
Dave the diver. This is such a fun game, it’s hard to explain. Simple concept dive for fish and run a sushi joint. Somehow it’s managed to become all games in one and every angle of play is well thought out. The diving part is part shooter/adventure/exploration/rpg. The Sushi joint aspect is collector/rts/management simulator. The animations are top notch as well. I can’t recommend it enough.