This one can be a good entry point, as it has a lot of QoL changes (such as recharging items instead of consumable like previous games, an easier to understand combat system (but still pretty engaging), and a more understandable crafting system) over the previous game in the trilogy Ayesha and the time limit is really lenient (you have to try to fail to make the deadlines for the main story and most of the sidequests).

The romance options are just a few dialogue options, where you have a choice of romance vs. friendship. All it does is change one scene during the ending. Canonically there is no closure as can be seen during Shallie, but your playthrough can have closure.

While playing Ayesha helps with understanding the world of this game (the Dusk trilogy), and know the backstory for Wilbell, Nio, Threia's uncle, Linca, Marion, and Harry, they're still introduced in a way that someone who didn't play Ayesha will understand MOST of them.

It was my first Atelier, and remains one of my favorites. Rorona was really rough going after this, not only because of the QoL and gameplay but because the storytelling is substantially more primitive. Rorona has one characteristic, being dumb as a stone; her mentor has likewise one characteristic, being relentlessly horny for Rorona. It's disheartening, compared to the actually interesting storytelling going on in the Dusk games. I'd go so far as to say that the entire Arland series can be largely disregarded; start with Dusk.

While it technically comes after Ayesha, I found its way more "friendly" than Ayesha. The main thing being the time limit is more manageable in this, as its sectioned off into small time limits with clearly defined goals, where other games like Ayesha give a vague goal and a time limit for the entire game, in the vein of Fallout's water chip quest. Also I feel like synthesizing is slightly more simple in this one, those Im sure by end game it will end up just as obtuse and complicated as Ayesha to get the best equipment and stats possible. As for Romance, I dunno. I usually just pick what I assume are the "friend zone" options because they feel more natural to me, but Im not sure how much romance plays into any of the games. Ayesha didn't really settle down much in any of her endings, and this game kinda proves it, with her ostensibly traveling with Keith and Odelia, rather than with any of her suitors[/spoilers]