@EuphemiaArtoria Thank you so much for playing and testing the game so extensively! I will be sure to take all of your feedback into account, and already have made a handful of changes based on your suggestions that I thought were absolute no-brainers.
This means that from the next patch onwards, characters that are active participants in the party will gain sympathy points every time a quest is completed. I think this change makes the subsystem a lot easier on everyone and the switching of characters more rewarding. Alexandra also will give a quick explanation of the benefits of coaching the first time the player engages with the system.
The immediate complexity of the game and subsequent feeling of overwhelm is well noted, and an optional combat tutorial will be implemented. With changes to the combat system happening all throughout development, I felt it safest to finalize that aspect of the game before doing so, however. In general, I want to keep handholding to a minimum, but I am trying to find a good compromise between both extremes.
Certain aspects of the game such as learning new abilities through the menu are deliberate design choices, just like you suspected, and it is completely understandable that they do not gel with everyone. Something I personally considered strongly is that the most adherent of my playtesters quickly showed an interest in optimizing their combat abilities even early on. The choice to learn acquired abilities or dismantle them towards others deemed more useful instead gives them plenty of freedom to experiment as early as the first second. It also lends a slight touch of rougelike to the game which the majority of players has seemed to appreciate so far.
As for the casino games, they were mostly accomplished by third party plugins, which sadly also limits my ability to tinker with their rulesets extensively. That isn't to say that I haven't, however, as the roulette, for example, has become a lot more complex thanks to eventing on my end. Then, there is the minigame played by Natsume, which is meant to give off an oldschool RPG vibe, that I created through eventing entirely. The card minigame is indeed the most consistent in terms of gains, however, they come slowly unlike with the others. This means the player sacrifices playtime for better odds, which is a loss in its own right. In the end, my modest capabilities likely will unavoidably result in an imperfect casino experience, but I am glad you enjoyed the offerings regardless.
Finally, I recommend you give those characters a shot you haven't yet. They fulfill very different roles from one another, and I promise you will find yourself wanting for something your four mainstays cannot provide.
Once again, I thank you
so much for playing Eternal Dreamers and coming back to it multiple times too! The virus has brought development of the game to a crawl, but I promise you will find your feedback reflected in the upcoming patch. As well as your name as part of the credits! Cheers!
