I think I have some issues with the intuitiveness of the game mechanics or otherwise conveying how they actually work.
In the current version, you take a fixed amount of damage every round that cannot be blocked, and happens regardless of her stance. Shields only matter when she is attacking, and it's not possible to take more damage on an off-balance or defensive turn than an attack turn, but it's possible to take the same amount of damage.
The health bars also extend a bit farther than is visible, which can also make it a little confusing when near the edges.
With the difficulty where it's at, I'm able to reliably win, but I have an unreasonably deep understanding of the mechanics, and I want to strike a better balance here.
Armor reduces arousal gain, so stripping the armor is the top priority. With the current balance it's really less about "aim for hearts when off balance" and "aim for swords when defending", and it's a bit more about "aim for swords when she still has armor" and "aim for hearts when her armor is low or gone" (which is when her corset comes off), which is another balance aspect I'm trying to consider how to adjust, so the two non-attack poses are more strategically different.