Current Likeability observations

Sorted from the easiest to hardest to get to like you:

• Logan/Kanna: They tell you flat out what topic they want to talk about.
• Dai/Eirlys: They tell you flat out what topic they don't want to talk about. They may have more than one interest that may piss them off in a conversation, so be careful!
• Kaour/Elsie: No hints whatsoever.

The safest (yet most costly) way to raise Kaour or Elsie's likeability (or Dai and Eirlys) is to shell out a seal or two to Shuan for the hint for the first conversation, use that topic, then end the conversation prematurely; selecting further interests may negate the increase you just paid for!

Oh yes, the cost for the first hint for any squire's first liked topic is 1 seal, but becomes 2 for subsequent hints.

I have not yet tested if their dialogue for conversation changes depending on their Likeability levels.

This kind of relates to what you're talking about; but it was discovered that the conversation responses follow a sequence. (1-97, before starting over) I translated a KR "cheat-sheet" for the correct answers to each, if anyone wants to format that into this page somehow since I don't have the patience.:

https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1DXzHjpuvuVZvkbyfE_31tG6knjdY5nswfyEl2RZdYno/edit#gid=0

I think there are multiple such spreadsheets based on an original korean one, but there is a note there about special conversations which occur at prescribed intermediate likeness levels. In my own experience, triggering one of those seems to advance or jump to an unexpected part of the sequence.

Additionally, though it might be my own mistakes in keeping track, I have been following it and have observed possible errors in the table (that might be caused by the special conversations). Otherwise it has bee mostly right.

Another user on the Nexon forums claimed to have made it completely through it without issue. IMO it typically seems to be user error, and I haven't personally had any problems. Albeit I'm only at mid-60s for responses.

i have had problems surrounding special convos for dai and eirlys, but the sheets match. My most successful run was elsie, with only one hole. but talking to multiple people it's super easy to forget to cross off, esp when the special convo can replace an entry so if they claim to have made it i'll definitely believe them.

in addition:

• the cost of shuan seems to be equal to the "like" level of the squire
• Squire difficulty is directly related to the initial stats of the squire (harder is higher)
• logan/kanna seem to need 100 points for 2 -> 3
• dai/eirlys seem to need 150 points for 2 -> 3
• kaour/elsie seem to need 300 points for 2 -> 3
• then 100 points per level after
• I seem to recall a level using only 70 points, perhaps level 1?
  • these might not be completely correct
• the new Cash items assist in conversations greatly
  • Truth Note (1) will (give an option to) force the squire to tell you what they want to talk about
  • Reunion Note (1) will (give an option to) allow another conversation for a squire once per day (for a total of 2 convos or 6 keywords)

When recruiting a squire you are faced with a choice of words. For example, when recruiting Dai, if you say "Please work for me!" he will reject Otherwise I conjecture that there are two wrong answers, one right answer, and three neutral answers.