How slow/fast should we be taking the game? It seems like once you advance into the next league, you have to fight every couple of days, but before that? Should one be entering the arena ASAP, or take time recruiting and working jobs to make money? I got smoked in one playthrough in the 3rd league and it felt like I advanced too quickly and my levels weren't in line with the enemy. Didn't ever do any training in that one or much shopping/recruiting.

Then I do a couple where I did maybe a battle a pay period, while recruiting/shopping and doing labor jobs for money for the rest of the time. Those seemed to flow better and get me further, but I didn't notice some events I had seen before.

Is it "go at your own pace" in the beginning, or should we just be fighting from the start?

Thanks.