Yeah, X-XIII are ok since the characters have a clearly defined path and you can assign their roles based on that. VII-VIII really had no path and I felt every character was the same. In fact I just directly copied materia/junction sets between characters when I switched up my party.

What I really like is when the character's job class has significance for the story. In FFIV, Rydia's home was burned by fire and so she couldn't use the Fire spell, and when she had to it made for a powerful scene in the game. Cecil's journey to become a Paladin also plays a significant role in the plot. Same with Dagger's role as Summoner in FFIX, as well as the story surrounding the black mages in that game. These things made the games more enjoyable and added another dimension to the battles. I felt like I was really playing those characters.