Picked up the game for 3DS a couple days ago and I'm having a pretty fun time so far. I do have a couple really noobish questions:
I'm using the Ludroth Switch Axe which apparently does 120 water damage. Does that water damage apply all the time, or only when my axe is in sword mode? And is this weapon doing less damage to watery enemies like the Royal Ludroth or Gobul, than a weapon that does no water damage?
Are these "online" missions you guys are talking about the ones handed out in Port Tanzia? Can these all be done in single-player? And do the Moga Village quests make up the bulk of the game, or are they just tutorials for the Port Tanzia missions? 
And what is the best way to determine which armor sets to upgrade to? They all seem to have relatively similar stats so far, is it the skills that set each piece of armor apart from one another?
Whew, that turned into a lot more questions than I had anticipated. I would have bought a guide book or something if one was available. Lots to learn jumping into this series for the first time.