Since you said that we need to be more tactical with combat, did we miss items or skills that would help with that? I ask because so far it seems like we have mostly a basic RPG arsenal, so we've been trying for basic heal and attack tactics, did we miss something, or do we just suck?
Secondary question: If we just suck, is there any chance to undo major screw ups we made? Like I said earlier at some point, so far this has been really unforgiving, do we have anything for back up? Even in the hardest RPGs you loaded back from your last save. What I'm trying to ask is: What if we really screw up? Everyone dies? The Warrens doesn't seem like something that would deserve that sort of ending.
Primary question: there was some minor mechanics stuff I think you guys haven't noticed yet.
1) If you move all the way across the screen and then attack something, it counts as a Long Range attack no matter what, so you'd be at a disadvantage using most weapons (-2 with Med, -4 with Melee). This is because range counts for all the movement made during the turn. HOWEVER! If you move to the other side of the the room from an enemy and then DON'T attack them, you don't make any rolls, but you put melee enemies at a guarenteed -4, and the Wisps at the very least at -2. I'll admit I haven't been perfect in following this rule, but it's been there for quite some time.
2) Tactical combat has always been an option. This can either make combat more or less deadly based on how it's invoked. Of course, it requires an infinitesimal amount of Charge to activate, but that's not something that's really relevant in a game mechanics way at this point in the game.
3) Power-ups, man, power-ups. This is the whole reason I allowed you guys access to the Scroll Shop and Reagent Shop. They can easily turn the tide of battle, and when combined with situational skills you craft in the Skill Tree, you've got a whole seperate arsenal.
4) This one hasn't been missed, but it's worth restating: there's power in numbers, man! Get more allies with diplomacy, but do note that enemies can be bribed, too. Heck, muscle them into it like you did with Cherish if you think it'll work. The only downfall is recruited enemies are not as loyal to you as a mercenary might be.
5) Don't forget that you can do an Arena fight to unlock Blue Rhapsody.
As for the second question: it's not possible. For the reasoning behind this, see my rant on "the Gamification of Suggestion Games." Allowing players to simply revert to an earlier stage would destroy the last five to ten pages of tense tactical debate entirely. There's a pretty huge in-universe reason, too, but I can't say yet.
Warrens will not end until a logical conclusion to the story has been reached or I drop it entirely. I'll always have a contingency plan in case the main POV character dies - even if it's one the players really hate, even if it's one I really hate having to do - but literally anyone other than that is permadead until you find some way to revive them (if you even do).
Even in the hardest RPGs you loaded back from your last save.
Not really.
Also this. Warrens isn't based on hard RPGs. It's based on roguelikes.
One does not simply reload in roguelikes.