I think the biggest thing I'd recommend is removing random encounters. The forest sequence was extremely frustrating because you had both on-map enemies and also random encounters. I always like the ability to try and evade,  so I'd probably bump up enemy counts where they're lacking (like the plains directly outside the town) and just straight up remove random encounters. 

Shops need to be rebalanced, for sure.

And probably make abilities not be weapon special. Classes are already locked to certain weapons, there's really no need to further add limitations. 

The developer himself agreed with several of those points. Combat isn't easy unless you make an agility build (or regen build). So it's broken in both directions. You either AGI build and breeze through or don't and you're screwed. So I either build a broken build and win with no fun or I don't and it's unfun.

Also, I never complained all equips being unavailable. I complained Sword Dancer needs a spear to use their level 4. Classes are already limited in what weapons they can use, so this doesn't make any design sense. Usually, the reason you'd do this is for a multi-class. "What do you mean by multi-class?" I hear you ask. This is when a class isn't just once class. So, for example, if it was more of: "Sword Dancer/Guardian" and every time you got a spell you got TWO instead, with contradicting weaponry so you had to choose one path or the other, this would make sense. In the current design, it doesn't. It's also not that the spear isn't available, but you can't get it without lockpicks, which only rogues can get. So inexplicably, Sword Dancer cannot use their level 4 ability without a lot of finagling, even then it's outside their namesake for no clear purpose.

No, I think the game is unbalanced because it's unbalanced. You either make a build meant to take advantage of the system math and win easily or don't and have no fun.

Also, I've beaten every Persona after 2, every Exile game after Crystal Souls, all of the old Fallouts, Arcanum, Lionheart, and more recently (since unsurprisingly, as an adult I have less time nowadays) Underrail and Age of Decadence. These all have not-so-easy combat. Age of Decadence is the sort of game that, if you don't build specifically for combat, combat will destroy you -- even then it's very reliant on luck. Underrail if you don't pre-plan your build, you will be destroyed, even when you do it's not easy. I'm well used to RPGs (there are many I haven't named), used to the grind, difficulty, and used to bad design (although I love Lionheart, it was a rushed game by a dying studio with several issues). The fact is, this game has an interesting premise with an undeniable amount of love put in, but it's an artificially difficult game since the systems are what make it difficult. There's nothing to master, it's either you build a broken character and Thanos snap the enemies or you don't and you have no fun.