If you start a completely new game and not a new game+ than it will not carry over, but it shouldn't be a problem as making rift crystals is easy.

nope, nothing new just some weak weapons that are surpassed by stuff merchants sell

The only real flaw from this game for me is that the story and side-quests doesn't really grab your attention like it should, that and the horrible lip-synching 

yeah between 6-10 game days

It shouldn't be that difficult, just have some curatives on hand as their will be 3 cyclop's you will have to kill and a bunch of goblin's 

1.You make a forgery of the ring from the black cat, you would lose the cape as it is in a lock box that only the ring would open and the king would not be able to due to the fact that you gave him a fake ring

2.N/A, just open every chest you find :/

3.You will get the same amount of exp and gold no matter what you do so if you don't care one way or the other on how the trial ends just rest for 5 days and collect the reward

You have to do a main-quest misson from Sir Maximillian which is to "rout a monster infestation", You would have to go to the shadow fort and clear all the monsters

Yup, it will work

Good to know, now if anybody else gets max affinity in my playthrough they are getting a punch to the face :P

Get an Arisen Bond so you can have automatic max-affinity with the one you want in the end. You can get one after completeing the "Witch Hunt" quest and going back to Selene's grandmother's grave and completing the quest that you get their.