Quote Originally Posted by Sephiroth1999AD
If someone says the Thief is useless because all he can do is run, this is where he gets to shine because I have him lead the party away from almost every battle.
He's awesome for that reason in the NES - for the WSC/PSX version though, he seems to have completely lost his ability to run. The only party I've tried so far that's been worthwhile in Origins has been Fi/Rm/Whm/Bm. And even then, by the end of the game it seems the mages are either dragging my fighter down, or end up doing nothing but buff my fighter.

I didn't quite notice a jump up in difficulty for the Ice Cave in Origins though - well, beyond the normal incerase you get. Probably the best advice is to do the Ice Cave before Gurgu Volcano. It'll be harder that way, but you'll cruise through the rest of the game.