5 early game tips for Octopath Traveler 2

destructoid.com:

Octopath Traveler 2 is finally here, devoid of the three-hour time limit that impeded us before. I said it was looking like a treat for RPG fans, and I remain confident in that assertion.

Octopath Traveler 2 is much more than another dose of the first game. While commonalities are here (for better or for worse), there are many new skills and secrets that firmly break the mold set by Octopath Traveler. In fact, you could miss some crucial features if you intend to play this exactly like its predecessor. Octopath Traveler 2’s open ended structure is all about the joy of discovery, so you don’t have to follow a perfect path to enjoy the game. Still, if you like to optimize your progress (since you play RPGs and clicked this article, I’m guessing you do), there are a few key tips you should know about. Below are my favorite finds.

One of my cornerstone strategies from Octopath Traveler involved the Thief class’ Steal SP and Share SP skills. It was so easy to tear through random battles using my most powerful abilities while Therion topped off everyone’s magic. The Thief class is stripped of these skills in Octopath Traveler 2, which made me worried this strategy became obsolete. Fortunately, that isn’t the case.

The Dancer Agnea might not have Share SP in her kit, but she arguably has something even better: NPCs she recruits with her Allure Path Action grant additional effects to her Dancer skills. The moment you finish her prologue, you can find a villager in the southwest corner of Cropdale who restores a small amount of SP as a Dance Session perk. This makes every dance restore 40 SP to the target, letting you easily top off heavy hitters like Hikari and Osvald. Flamechurch also houses an apothecary that ups that amount