Also you can't learn Golf, Discreet (Sneaky) or Shooting (which are on the same page as MA during the intro) during the game (I know the first two aren't used anywhere yet, but I rather choose a skill which I can't get during the normal playthrough...)
Usually I am completely d'accord of never spending points on things that can be gathered otherwise, just like in an RPG I won't choose "10% more XP" or "more ammo found" if it takes the place of an actual perk I could get. However, with the choices here - as of now - I am thinking differently. Exception that proves the rule.
Hmm, there's also Lavish's Lucky Panties which give permanent +1 Luck and finding 4 leafed clovers can be save scummed... Also I think "Animals hate me" is probably the least hurting negative trait. (Only if you like to wander in the woods or swim on the beach during the night, it's bad)
But the lucky panties are precisely what I was talking about. You need to get two presents from Lavish, so one birthday, one christmas. And god forbid you forgot meeting up with her on one of those days ...
Save scumming is a possibility but also annoying. Luckily you only ever need two clovers at max, so it is doable - but a soft season lock as well.
Well for Cassidy you need to finish the investigation in one week or either you get fired or you accept to be her pet. (Of course some people probably like the second option, but it's kinda the same as with Emma...)
Both have their positives (relative to the other only). Cassidy is forcing you to do stuff within one week, no avoiding it by not going to the living room on Saturdays or similar, which is bad, agreed. Then again, in her story you get a clear indication that now you have to act from the game itself. With the Sam/Emma timing there is nothing in the game telling you about the problems you'll be facing if you don't act now.
Bree needs to be "yurimanga'd" for the home harem as well, so no real loss here imo... Also you can delay having sex with Bree until after you've done the Emma storyline...
Yeah, but delaying other storylines intentionally to get Emma started is - for my tastes - taking away from the "running around and do what you want within reason" stuff. Granted, the "triple sex harem" (now "five day sex harem") is very close to that, too. Wanting to get Emma influences how you can interact with the other girls, which is one thing Cassidy doesn't do.
True. I didn't say Emma had an easy route.
Can say the same for Cassidy - she's also annoying, even more for the next point you mention.
That's another problem I have with Cassidy, she forces you into a sexual relationship and at the end of her storyline if her sub points aren't high enough she demands you to basically break up with the other girls (I know nothing happens there currently, but I guess this might lead to problems in the future...)
Yeah, that's just trouble waiting to happen.
I agree it's easier to get her in a second playthrough with NG+, but it's not impossible to get her in the first run if you really need "to catch them all". Cassidy on the other hand depends on a skill, or you run into a game over (which could probably delayed by not taking the last call from Cherry until you get the skill), Emma just doesn't want to be your girlfriend if you fucked something up... (So yeah my winner for the worst route is Cassidy, but maybe I'm biased... ^^)
The main issue with Cassidy for me is not so much that you can get a game over - but that (provided you work to earn money, which I consider a given) you cannot ignore her at all. Of course you can always go the route that kicks her out of the game after the investigation, but when you don't you're on a timer. And if you don't know MA yet and are in fall, you might not have a save left to go back to.
So yeah, she's putting up a fight, but I'll still prefer her to Emma. After having done her route once, I know what to expect and what to do. With Emma I am spending half my playtime on the Wiki
One we both forgot by the way would be Kleio. Getting a sports car in time (if you didn't choose it as a perk which I would never suggest) is quite a task, so she's easily gone, too, for the unprepared player.