Hi there! First of all thanks a lot for playing and for your feedback!
I can assure you Korg Classic is as punishing and as minimalist 🤣 but it doesn't mean I cannot iterate on it!
To answer your doubts:
- You do not get automatic heal just by shopping - potions and high potions are the mean to heal.
- Unless specified "once per location" or "use once" the items are always 'on' providing passive bonuses
- Ideally you can choose the location freely in 2 moments: 1) at the start of the game 2) when you finish a quest. If you want to move from one location to another mid-quest you should use the airship (5gp)
- Total freedom on where to start, but honestly yes, I designed Cordelia Outskirts to be kind of a starting quest!
On how to improve: would it help if I added one extra card "adventurer's journal" (or something) with extra tips / tricks / FAQs clarifications?
I dont think you need to necessarily say 'hey start here' but if it were me I'd change the reward on the outskirts to earning your class as a more natural suggestion to go there first since it's a power up. And you need power to survive.
Also balance wise a couple initial notes off the top of my head :
Id change the white mage to be maybe +1 or +2 flat healing or give them a once per location self heal. a flat +d6 to healing each time you use a potion is pretty strong.
I also feel like the grey ooze ought to be maybe just a trap. As it stands your not likely to have destructible items at this point and you can just land there and effectively just roll gold since it does no damage. Unless you switch it to like 1 damage + ruins an equip or chance to ruin equip instead.
Then on the same location (outskirts) id change goblins to just bandits or thief.Just so you don't double dip names then just call it a trap since it auto triggers.