The expectation isn't the problem though. I had a hard time just avoiding fights. The way I remembered it, sometimes the game drops 2 wolves on me and I either die instantly or lose like 3/4ths of my health when I fail to escape. Or the game drops 2 boars and it takes out anywhere between 1/3 or 1/2 my health. And this is just the first area.
ALOT of "Traits/Foibles" reduces your AGILITY Stat, that DIRECTLY affect your Chance to RUN Away from Combat, so be SURE of what you want before chusing any, through i personaly recomand pepole wating to chuse "Traits/Fobles" until you understand the game system bether.
As for the blessings, I wouldn't know. When I played it back in 3.9.7, I got the blessing I still died a few dozen times. No idea what a particular blessings actually does though, but I remember getting one from the person asking for donations.
the blessing gives you 3% HP Regeneration and +150% Max HP wile the blessing is in effect, but you should acquier it AFTHER you get the "Traits/Foibles" because when you return from memory lain, it act as an Rest so your status effect's get reset.
also be aware that if you LIED to the Regulators about Mother and the Girl, then you start your game with an -200 Max HP Debuff, but you get lather on an reward from Mother that will over all give more Max HP to your character, but the Regulators will mislike you fore it, but the Girl and Mother will like you fore it, so your choice.
Also, honestly speaking, the way you phrased your explanation comes off as condescending and unhelpful. Like first of all, you're already making the assumption that "people don't want to have to relearn things from scratch". You're already in the mindset of discrediting other people's opinions and deflecting their negative experiences. I don't even know why you brought up "reinventing the wheel" and "revisit[ing] basic game design ideas" because these are just empty statements. We haven't even talked about if and how this game brings something new to the table, let alone whether or not people are at odds with it.
hate to brake it to you but ALOT of people (like 85%(+?)) that are New to this Game but Experienced whit the Standard Setup of RPG Maker VX Ace (and other RPG Maker Engine Games), have Problems when goring from the Standard Ruleset to the Costume one Rutsah made, and no i can't relay see any "condescending and unhelpful" part of there explanation, from my one experience it makes perfect sense...
Well the easiest way to convey that is to write that into the game. It's unlikely someone new would specifically know to talk to the fortune teller, let alone "get the right stuff." It's not common sense to splurge your very limited funds on just anyone willing to take your money when it's really hard to make money early in. As I mentioned above, I had no idea what blessings even did. All I knew was that it went away if I went to sleep (if I'm remembering right) and that sleeping was also relatively expensive. My first instinct was to pinch my pennies.
as fore the fortuneteller she actually have an Name floating over her Head unlike almost all of the other Characters on the Dock, so most players would connect that she would be an (important) Person you Should speak to, and if you money is an problem then there is always the save load option to see what happens if you pay...
Any guide on good foibles? Most of them seem to have too heavy of disadvantage to even consider them.
i can't say i have any guides fore Good "Foibles" but i can try and give advise of some of the Traps i have personally observed...
it depends actually ALOT on the class and what you want out of the game experience, some of the Foibles also Affect some story elements so be aware of that as well.
but anything that reduces your AGILITY can be Detrimental to your survival early on, simply because running away from random encounter get harder the lees Agility you have.
The Foibles "Mountain-Life" is an Clair Trapp in MY opinion sure you gain +1000 Max HP and +10% Max HP, but you lose the ability to HEAL other ways then HP Regeneration, and if you lack HP Regeneration wile poisoned and fore some reason don't have antidot then you meit die before you retch town to cure yourself and can't keep yourself alive with fish you have cached like other can, beside after a Copple of levels the +1000 HP isn't that useful, and you would waste more time to try and use the Passive HP Regeneration by going back and fort to let your passive Regen heal you on the overworld map (and maybe encountering random battels you don't want wile trying to heal) then you would have used by just eating fish, the most useful ting you get from it is honestly the extra Sprint time, but other Foibles give that as well so i personally Skip "Mountain-Life" fore the reason stated.
you meit want to stay away from stuff that make you More insane because sure you can get stronger reward from beng insane but it also add enemies to the world and your character start to see people as animals and dead stuff as alive, and other stuff, and Dialogues with people also Change in some cases...
so think carefully if you want to be Insane or not, meit even be wort it to play separately as Sane and Insane if you replay the game to see the difference's.
some Stats are less useful fore some classes so you meit want to roleplay seartien archetypes based on the Foibles you can choose, like fore the Blood Magus you meit be better off domping your Attack stats fore some of the other Life Skills, because the Blood Magus can get an staff that Poison enemies and that can be an viable choice as an main damage source early on supplemented with Magic, just as an example.
you meit want to avoid ANYTING that Disable searthen actions like the Attack command in battle and other equipment slots!
after all if you are an Leader/Berserker DISABLING your option to Attack wit your main Weapon (and Lock away the use of 2 equipment slot's (weapon and Shield)) sound like an BAD idea fore weapon fighters...
and stuff affecting your Estrogen/Testosterone levels will affect the type of H-Sean's available to you, so fore sissy/Gay stuff you want Estrogen, wile Testosterone makes the Girls like you fore the most part.
so it is up fore personal preference Really, but my PERSONAL recommendation is to WAIT to chose during your First playthrough, because you will be unfamiliar with what meit be good fore you or BAD fore you, and it would be EASY to fall into a Trap choice, that Sound Good on paper but is REALY bad fore your Build...
hope this have been of any help, and have an good day forward.