Quote Originally Posted by Fynn View Post
I guess if someone prefers characters to have set roles, it could bother them. While I do like the Junction system (I actually have more issues with Materia), I do agree that games like IV and IX that have characters in set roles do a bit of a better job integrating story and gameplay because what you know about a character has relevance in battle, whereas in the others nothing is stopping you from making that tiny 6-year-old girl from being the main tank. On the one hand that kind of freedom is cool, but I can also see how it can be immersion-breaking.
This is my biggest issue with materia (I dislike FF8 for plenty of other reasons). The materia system makes distinctions between the characters pretty meaningless. Greater distinctions between characters also helps replay value.

As far as the idea that you could intentionally junction poorly, some RPG players are compulsive grinders that are scarred to our very soul if we don't do something optimally.

Also, I still cant help but laugh at the “FFXII plays itself” argument. XII will literally only ever play itself if you, the player, do your job very well. Setting up gambits correctly take practice and when you finally reach a point at which you can just move the characters around and everything dies, it actually feels satisfying instead of disappointing.
I definitely agree with this. Unless you spend a lot of work on it, at best the gambits can be set up to "play itself" through easy fights with minor enemies -- which if anything, is a change any critics of random encounters should be wholeheartedly endorsing.