The first one seemed story based with a good game.
This one seems like a good game with no story.
I prefer the crafting system in the second - since the first didnt have one.
Literally, that is the only thing I find appealing about this remake. They removed the story and added in some gen-whatever phrasing "my bad" to try to connect but it horribly fails to connect the player to any specific character.
Himiko was the main love interest in the first where I have no idea who they intended the player to connect with in this version.
I like it because it's more balanced in regards to gameplay and character scenes.
Like mages just being passive characters with status/device in the original while in GOLD they gave them offensive abilities to actually be useful as well as deeper strategic elements with the improved item system.
There is barely any harem feeling in the original , because either the protagonist or the characters were always making sure they wouldn't upset Himiko/Arthur (Which is why no one in the Knights of the Round have scenes except Bedi's joke scene) to the point that in most scenes not involving those 2 the characters it feels or is written as the characters doing it behind the back of the protag's real women and thus it's kept a secret.
Masamune is the new main heroine but she is mostly the vehicle used to emphasize the harem feeling, constantly pushing for situations that feed the harem setting. So this time the relationships feels more grounded, as in all the heroines (That you get scenes with at least) are of equal value. Not gonna lie, I enjoy Himiko here because I like that even though she has the same monopoly desires she can't do nothing about it, even her status as legal wife is no different from the rest.
Naturally the story and characters had to be accommodated to allow the relationships to happen, like using Arthur's love quirk to allow the Knights to have scenes.
The original had a very clear bias, that with Zipang characters having 7 or more events while you got cases like Ashoka with only 3 scenes, then with them taking the screentime from most story related bits.
GOLD feels more fair as far as screentime goes, though it's clear that Columbus, Perry and Billy gets the most of it but it's not to the original levels.
But it helps that everyone gets the same amount of events even if they had to pad some to fill the quota.
I guess you can think of this one like say the subsequent sequels of Persona 4 where the characters get flanderized just so they can give fans more wacky situations.
Anyways it's a shame that you have people dissing at the original when that one has its strengths over this one.
Also hope someone updates the WWX gallery, we haven't gotten an update in months.
They better give Hannibal scenes!