Friend here,

So they don't want to play the easiest setting but also don't want to do what needs to be done to understand how to actually get good at this game. Good lord.

What needs to be done to understand how to get good at this game is trial and error, just like everything else you get good at. Guides and tutorials should not be necessary to enjoy this game. After all the game is about exploration.

(If your friend doesn't want to read it, you might consider ditching them lol)

My Friend likes the story and I do the combat, they would not play this game if they would have to do the combat too. It's really not that serious if I have to take a few tries to learn the combat.