Hi there. First off I'd like to say thanks for taking the time to play and being a nice person with the critique. Some I've talked to would just say insults only in a very rude way.
I'll address each comment in order.
1. I’d prefer to avoid using plugins/things from others in order to avoid any copyright or legal issues. I plan to sell the complete game and I’d rather not have any problems like that to worry about.
2. The mood at the start of the game is supposed to have a sort of heaviness to it. It’s supposed to be a sad environment where the main character struggles to get by. Kind of like walking through a struggling neighborhood, there is a certain vibe to it, but in this case it’s only Rena struggle with her mother, so it’s like from her perspective.
3. Kind of was going for a sudden shock to immediately draw attention, but I’ll go the slow fade in route instead. Also the monologue is an interesting idea.
4. The maps you sent seem pretty detailed and colorful. Kind of gives a more upbeat feeling which is the opposite of what I’m going for in the beginning. It’s supposed to be small and depressing. For later areas though, sure I could use them, but not the beginning.
5. The guard dialogue changes depending on when you talk to them. I thought them literally doing nothing was enough. Also the kids appearing is meant to take you by surprise to grab the player’s attention. Unexpected surprises can have that affect on people instead of showing a build up to a scene which most people can make assumptions from.
6. No you’re right. I should have put a more emotional impact here. I’ll make the changes.
7. I want to avoid plugins for already mentioned reasons.
8. I thought using the dungeon backgrounds made it feel like you were fighting in the dungeons, but ok I’ll switch them.
Also as for your issue with the slimes, I thought that I gave them antidotes as a drop item. Also fighting the knights in the building shouldn't be too much problem since they drop potions to heal. Or you could run from them.
Important Notes
1 & 2. Random encounters give me a sense of nostalgia, plus not every enemy has a model that can move around the map if I remember correctly. It reminds me of playing the old school RPGs on DS or Gameboy, things like going through a cave in pokemon. I can lower encounter rates if it’s too annoying. Running away is also an option, but I can understand being annoyed about too many consistent encounters. Had that problem in mt moon in pokemon fire red.
3. Still figuring this one out. The game does tell you when you level up and get a new skill after you finish a fight. Still figuring out how to add another form of notification at the moment.
Lastly, I will say, yes I am trying to do what I can to bring out the potential of the game. Doing things like changing the download page here sounds like a good idea. Thank you for all you've done so far. I'd be glad to hear your thoughts again on the next update.