For those struggling with the mechanics
1 - Affection quests unlock at different chapters, competing them increases affection by 1 point.
2 - Crafting items also are locked to different chapters. You typically get the crafting recipes and relevant quests give or take 1 chapter early for some reason. If you can't find Copper ore yet, it's because you haven't gotten to the area that copper ore spawns in. Check the book in the crafting area to see what spawns where once you've found it at least once.
3 - If a quest calls for an item, it wants THAT ITEM specifically. Not an inferior or superior version, which you can make if you use specific types of cum. If you craft an item and the NPC won't accept it, make sure you crafted it normally.
4 - Karma, Dom and Sub changes very little overall, but they go toward the endings. It's about the only thing they change.
5 - Items related to specific quests only appear when you are on that quest, and you've talked to the relevant quest NPC.
6 - New spells and abilities are linked to the level of your dresses. Level up dresses to unlock bigger, better spells.
EDIT: Also, save frequently. Game seems to crash a lot.