Hi Thonex!
I'm really glad you played and enjoyed the alpha! also about the feedback, you are totally right, one of the most frustrating things is the combat, which is why I have been reworking the entire combat system over the last few months.
Items, buffs, and debuffs were commonly not used because it was a 1v1 fight. My first attempt was to increase the number of turns each buff/ailment took, but players were still struggling or not using it at all, and as a result, players who were using items discovered the items were too OP and broke the game haha. So I made a "Ally" system, with which you will have the support of a luster in battle, and you can choose which type of ally you want to fight with. As a result, Matilda can fight while the ally provides support.
There are allies who specialize in healing, buffs, debuffs, extra damage, and other abilities. You can also choose and change your ally.
One more thing I'm adding is underwear, which is equipment that Matilda can use. Each piece of equipment will benefit her in a different way, such as damage, defense, extra benefits for each element, and so on. This is why I'm taking my time with the next update because I'm adding two hours of extra content and need to rework the battle system, but I'm really excited about how it's turning out.
btw I'll look to regulate the video sound, thanks for that, I wasn't aware of this.
Once again, thank you so much for playing and for your feedback, I hope you can play the next version when it comes out :D