Max: Well it's just that I have heard that more than I want to hear it (and again, I am balancing him based on the idea everyone grabs the cornet and the mask--I haven't actually tried him WITHOUT getting those two items or just not using them, but if you didn't get it, you're making Snowe out to be a jerk who doesn't say bye to his people before he leaves to go die in the snow). You would benefit from having the mask for sure. The cornet helps lessen his regular all-attack so you can cut that down. Blizzard he is supposed to do less than Ice in the beginning (until you get him down to 20% HP and then he'll be spamming it). But yeah, even though you've only got a game over twice, it leaves me thinking in terms of how you are doing compared to other complaints/comments I have gotten.

But in short, when I have beta-testers go through, I'll make sure they tell me frankly about how hard my bosses are (I balance my bosses with the question: "did I die when I was being smart (using my skills right, debuffing, buffing right, etc)? No? Then it's balanced for me") and then think about if I'm making them too hard. Because there are a few people who aren't good at fighting the bird (one of my beta-testers just couldn't do it, but another said as soon as she figured out what to do, she was able to win).

Cozzer: If you talk to Richard and Vera before you leave, they tell you to grab them. Personally I wonder if it's my duty to cater to players who didn't explore when I give them multiple things to be on the look out for (you can dust your kingdom's dust laden dishes, that should be hinting at you can explore quite a bit and shouldn't skip over exploring). I don't want to hold the players' hands when playing my game. After the demo ends and after a small dungeon, you can always grab Snowe's skills from the castle again. And I never put the skills in a place that can never be reached again (and if I do, I make sure if you miss it, they do appear elsewhere). One thing I may do is have Richard flat out tell STOP you from leaving Sabine if you've forgotten your skills.

In addition, having two random fire spellbooks floating around the tower just seems odd. Astra nor Hiante have any use for them! D: But yeah, I'll definitely take your suggestion to heart and hammer it into the players' heads NOT to forget them and even going so far as to make Richard stop you from leaving if you did forget them. I figure since it is the first spells you get, perhaps that is a good idea. Players may not be accustomed to having to look for their skills (something I probably should have thought of more) so having it so that you can't forget Snowe's first two may be far more helpful than your adviser reminding you only if you talk to him and so on and so forth.

Hurray, you got through the demo Cozzer! Now we should hope the same for Max McGee.

But yes, anyone who has played the demo: don't feel shy about telling me if you legitimately think something is too hard (there is a difference between it being too hard or you not doing it right, but I figure you are all smart folks and are able to tell the difference!). I'm always second guessing myself on balancing so any thoughts about it is very welcome.

author=Ronove
If you talk to Richard and Vera before you leave, they tell you to grab them. Personally I wonder if it's my duty to cater to players who didn't explore when I give them multiple things to be on the look out for (you can dust your kingdom's dust laden dishes, that should be hinting at you can explore quite a bit and shouldn't skip over exploring).

I think I mentioned this before, but I'd already spent the entire prologue exploring town, and I wasn't much feeling like going back and doing it again! Really, the only reason I DID do it was because I was beta-testing and wanted to see if anything was breaking.

Also, I don't think it's considered hand-holding if you make the game beatable for people who wouldn't play it like you would! xD I think it's okay to reward players for exploration, but to outright punish them seems pretty cruel. ;n;
I say make it easier to beat the boss if you've gotten the Child's Cornet and Scary Mask and the other fancy items from your dudes, but don't make it necessary. Not everyone is going to want to explore, and shutting those people out from your game is going to thin your audience considerably.

(I like the idea of Richard outright stopping you from leaving Sabine if you didn't get your skills - I missed getting Cure I because I never actually found where you were supposed to get it, and that definitely made my life harder, especially because I don't remember there being a place for me to buy potions!
...of course there may have been one and my brain is too mushy to remember it now, anyway. OTL)