I like customisation, but it's cool for characters to start off with unique abilities, or have a particular strength.

IX is probably my least favourate system so far. Not only did you have no choice whatsoever as to what your characters learned, you didn't even get to decide when they learnt it. It wasn't so that you could work hard and be really strong, or get good abilities early, you got them when you were told, with no challenge.

I reckon VII had the best system so far. In no other game could you spend as long planning your strategy before a battle. No other game allowed you to be as creative in your approach either.