You get to Diablos before heading to Timber. That's at most three or four hours into the game.

Also most of us played VIII when we were dumb babbies. I've met people who didn't even know they could Junction spells until Disk 2 or 3! If you in any way Junction magic to any stat, you are breaking the game.

Like I've already gone over, I did a Challenge Run for this game. i have done that that for no other FF game ever. And yet I still curbstomped every story boss, I still slaughtered every Propagator (nice "puzzle" there game where you can just kill your way to solving it) I did not grind, I did not play a single round of Triple Triad, and yet I still had no problem. All you have to do is use the system in any way.