Even Software developpers are not following standard definitions about this anymore, so whatever we call it, it is work-in-progress.Although your beta test has started back in April, it is, as I view it, strictly speaking not a beta test. In the past months, you have added new features into the mod, whereas a feature freeze is one of the defining rules of a beta test, so I would say, we're still in an alpha test phase ;-)
I've not actively developed software for quite some time now, and I'm not aware of current techniques of a software release cycle. Software always has been a work-in-progress, it's just about how you organise the progress. I'm pretty sure, you have your way of how to develop, enhance and fix the code. I've made the experience that it's been questionable to always add new features, while you are trying to fix bugs at the same time. It's likely you never come to and end, i.e. a release this way. That's basically what I wanted to say about a temporary feature freeze, even if the term feature freeze isn't used anymore.
I have lost any hope that Sandrah will ever be anything else but expert for some dedicated players.
If you follow the other threads and discussion on SHS and any other Baldur Gate forum, you will have noticed the trend of having a large wide-open game platform with loosely coupled events and the opportunity to go into BGT, IWD, IWD2 and whatever with thousands of kits to select - the contents becomes irrelevant. Sandrah tries to do the opposite, she creates a kind of very long road through the game - but still a road - from Candlekeep to Throne of Bhaal and tries to tell a story here. Sounds to me like a dinosaur approach now,
I've just been coming back to BG a few months ago, after several years of absence and am not following the forums very closely. In fact beside this forum, I only read the kerzenburg forum, but both of them not every day. My time does not allow for this. I haven't noticed the trend you speak of. NEJ has been around for a long time already, so adding the content of other IE based games is nothing new or trendy. I personally come from a pnp rpg background and love narrative mods which contain some depth, as such, Sandrah is absolutely right for me, but then, it's just me and my opinion.