No Spoilers Please *Question*

[Eeyore]

I do enjoy playing these sort of games with as little foreknowledge as possible --
However there is currently one question I would greatly desire an answer to.

Is there an optimal strategy as far as your decisions of leaving the estate for the capital or staying at your estate? The same decision is to be made by chapter 4 it seems. and then around chapter 6 I believe you have little choice but to go to the capital.

Is it wise to go to the capital at the very start rather than stay and manage your estate? If not, is it a mistake to leave at the end of chapter 4? Or is it in fact advised to leave at that moment rather than stay another 2 chapter before being forced to go?

[stm8022]

I'd say estate management is something you can effectively ignore, as it's pretty much just RP/flavor thing, which prevents the MC from participating in some events in the capital that start very early. While improving your estate can net you some coin, this can be done through estate manager you'll leave behind, and there doesn't seem to be any other benefit, save maybe for a marriage with the daughter of local baron, if that's your thing (but that's, again, largely just RP)

[Arcanestomper]

There are two other things you can do at the estate that I know of. Improve your own stats beyond their initial state, and continue mentoring Renard.

[stm8022]

Going by estate path guide, improving stats requires specific manor upgrade to be built, and you gain 5% to stat but lose 5% in both of others, so... that's more harm than gain, imo. Training with Loch might be worthwile if he's present early on, but if am not mistaken it'll cost you the army reform commission going belly up, if nothing else.

My MC didn't have charisma to mentor Renard in the first place, and then went and captured fat bag of coins disguised as a princess, so, well. No squire for him ;/

[Supply Slut]

No spoilers: they are different paths, and you get the opportunity to change from the capital to your estate at a couple of points (and vice versa) but eventually you are funneled into the end game chapters regardless of what you did before.

The estate is interesting and has different play styles, but if I’m being honest is usually better and more interesting to stay in the capital. There are more people to interact with, there is more to do, you can obtain more influence and reputation, and ultimately you can do the majority/most important aspects of estate management remotely.

[Arcanestomper]

The major penalty of going to the capital is that you can't select exactly which improvements to build, and each improvement costs twice as much. I can't actually say whether it would be better to stay at the estate or not in terms of pure money though as there are some capital paths that are very lucrative.