thank you for writing! the first chapter is more dedicated to resource-gathering and introducing all the characters than combat. in future chapters the dynamic is flipped - more fights and quests, resources are far more scarce. still, there are plans to add a couple more fights to this first chapter before moving on in development. and yes, the fights are rather difficult - in a future version i might tone them down a little, but the intention is for you to take advantage of an enemy's weaknesses and use statuses that counter their statline/strategy.
thanks again! i will keep your notes in mind as i work more on the game.