I'm having trouble with the UI and the vagueness of the messages. The UI seems to be inaccurate, indicating repeat events as new, saying the event has benefits it doesn't have (and can actually have negative effects instead), etc.
Unless you have discovered a bug, there is no inaccuracy in the UI (that I'm aware of). If there were, I think I would have heard of it by now. Did you check the info about the color-coded character names to understand how it works (Help->Info)?
Repeating events can be similar, like if you talk to a character it often starts the same way even when something new is added.
If you replay an event marked for instance (20), it means you got +20 memory health the last time you played it. If you repeat it and make another choice, you can get something else. Just skip the event if you want the number shown.
If you have something inaccurate or broken, show it to me, or I can't fix it (or explain why it isn't inaccurate).
There doesn't seem to be a quest system indicating what to do next, and the messages I get are something like "This didn't change your relationship with so-and-so. Something new needs to happen first.", which doesn't help, and a lot of times I am not given any indication at all, just failure.
This game seems more frustrating than rewarding, and based on what I've read, seems to be designed that way on purpose.
It is intended to have some grind, making the reward sweeter (but compared to the QSP games that inspired me to make this game, the grind is substantially reduced). One of the most common positive comments I get in the reviews is that the grind is the right amount. So if you hate any grind, maybe this game isn't for you.
For example, is it true that making the wrong choice or making a choice at the wrong time can delay progress for weeks?
If you make the wrong choice, try again the next time you play the event. If the event is only once a week, then it will take a week.
I don't get this game, either its appeal or how to actually make progress.
Seems a bit unfair to give a 1 star review complaining about a broken UI when the UI is not broken -- it is you who don't understand it for some reason. I don't know why because I can't recall people complaining about it being hard to understand. It is meant to be easy to understand and follow, hence there didn't seem to be much need for a quest system.