Final Fantasy VIII or Dragon Quest VIII?

[Bolivar]

I disagree, because as you later stated, it's the magic refining abilities which can allow for the game to be easily broken early on. However, there are 20+ abilities for GFs to learn, and any given player may opt to learn other abilities prior.

Just because there are people who don’t understand the junctioning system well enough to exploit it doesn’t make it less exploitable. Similarly, choosing not to exploit it doesn’t make it any less exploitable either.

Also, you do get a few stones that refine highly early on, but even then, the magic you refine isn't enough to give your characters overly-exploited attributes.

Have you actually tried it? The amount of firagas you can refine out of the wizard stones you get from saving Ellone is more then enough to cause the amount of damage I described.

Also, you don't have to draw to the max everytime a new magic comes out. You should only do as much as you need. That's like seeing the Level # in prior FF's and thinking that it means you have to get it to 99 before proceeding.

It’s more like a game where enemies don’t give you experience unless you’re in a couple of pre-defined areas. Obviously in that situation you’re going to level up as much as is reasonable while you’re able. A game like that would be critically panned because leveling has changed from a parallel process like it is in other games to something that stops the progression of the game. Drawing magic is basically that. Obviously players are going to stock up on as much as they can, because they don’t know when they will next be able to (or do, and realize it’s going to be a while before they get another chance to) stock up on X magic. Only, unlike every other magic/ability system in the series where you just gain AP or whatever as you go (besides II, which is equally bad), you have to stop your progress and dedicate time to one, repetitive cause. Drawing is a hideously designed system with absolutely no redeeming qualities.

Once again, I disagree with your first and second comments for my previous point - the exploitability of the game is largely exaggerated, especially by those searching for reasons to bash the game (i'm not saying you're one of them). Of course I've refined the Wizard Stones you get from saving Ellone - there are only 8. That gives you 40 -aga magics. Maybe you were underleveled, but even if you gave all 40 to one stat on one character, that hardly makes them broken. Not to mention that would be using up the entire thing on ONLY one stat for ONLY one character; its far from broken. Spreading out the magics, as I'm sure alot of people would do, highly reduces the effectiveness. The only other method early in the game would be to refine tents into curagas, but that is expensive considering the salary in the beginning of the game. If you were to use a cheat sheet and fly through the exams, (which you can only take up to your level) it reinforces what I said earlier - that you're still spending time away from the main story to do these things, much like level grinding in any other title.

As far as your third point, your example makes no sense. Every RPG has monsters in pre-designated areas, so I'm not quite sure what it is you're trying to say. You hardly need to stock up on as much magic as possible in order to progress through the game, only some, and that's it, not to mention with the reifning process, you can have characters which never need the draw command (it is optional, by the way). Also, you should refrain from using words like "absolutely" in describing your disgust for the system, because it's only your opinion. Rather than "a hideously designed system with absolutely no redeeming qualities" alot of people like me find it to be an intriguingly designed and incredibly flexible system which allows for a fresh experience every time you pick up the game.