I'm late to responding, but I am similar with my text adventure history. Played a lot in my pre-teen and teenage years.
In regards to difficulty, I knew I was going to alienate people with my unfamiliar puzzles. Although, I didn't have a hint system that showed the explicit answer in the beginning, I added that in the end. I do want people to finish the game.
And I'm glad I did. A lot of people did use the hints, and it also forms a stronger connection to the characters.