first post didn't take so here I try again...
1. Story is good but generic
No comment haven't gotten very far just two half days playing...
2. Combat needs a serious tutorial
I thought it mentioned some of your concerns during tutorial pop-ups... (Edit: Redid start and yes removing poison clouds is a specific popup during tutorial... as are several other such mechanics) I didn't notice any learning misgivings. Though the trying to click enemy and animation moves and then I click ground... that is annoying, but I'm more careful now
3. Character Options work against you
Maybe because I am used to playing RPGs but saving up skill points seemed pretty obvious... the second point takes 2 instead of one so upping any after level 1...
4. The voice-overs are too much
Yes, and since there is no true pause it is even more so annoying. I'll pause to go do something and can hear them throughout the house blabbing away constantly... same thing over and over silly people...
5. Finding out enemies weakness was mostly trial and error
Can't comment here either as I haven't gotten that far in, but when I see a fire elemental I don't shoot fireballs at it :P. Others been dying easily so haven't really bothered looking for weakness. Spider boss thing though... Hide behind wall haha can't hit me
. A lot of earlier fights was also highly reliant on tactics more than characters skill...
7. Quests and map layout do not guide you where you need to go
Used to being hand held by most current RPGs this took me by surprise at first. Then I realized that there are markers on the map to things like hidden hideout on NW beach... It just doesn't have a point rotating constantly to lead you to it. What got me more until I realized it was the silly quest log show stuff in correct order not recent at top... Lol I was looking for the mage arhu and wondering why he wasn't in the harbour, oh wait I did that at very beggining... DUH!
8. Encounter difficulty can have huge spikes
Agreed, I got to a spider boss and it one shot my whole team with its second water attack... I killed it without a scratch on me after reload as I realized the perfect tactic for killing it. (same group) Wonder if it was designed that way or I just got to it way too early... Bosses so far have been the worst for this but they can be got around with tactics. intended?
9. Henchmen are interchangeable
10. The game is not designed to allow multiple viable playstyles
Wasting one skill point into a complementing mage skill allows you to use three spells of that element... It isn't that much of a sacrifice either... I can't really comment further than what I experience though and only about 14 hours of play time in and playing fighter/fire mage I haven't had an issue yet with combat other than bosses, and going to areas I'm not ready for yet...
