I do frequently stop and grind for whatever abilities my equipment offers, and I always fulfill the entire Chocobo quest and unearth all the Dead Pepper treasures. Once I can get to Daguerro, I use the Grand Dragons exclusively, naturally maxing out Dragon Crest in the process. I also max out Frog Drop because IS CAN GOOD EAT, but I usually run out of patience powering up Thievery.

Screw the Athlete Queen, too. I don't think I've ever gone nuts enough to get all the Tetra Master cards, either.

Once you get to choose your own party, I always go with Freya, Quina, and Salamander. Most people seem to ignore them in favor of the starting characters, but I swear they're the ultimate team. :freya: :salamander: