Quote Originally Posted by theundeadhero
In almost every RPG I've ever played, just never run and be sure to buy the best equipment as soon as it's available. That way you'll never have to spend time leveling up. Maybe a little time earning Gil for the best stuff, but your levels will be enough through the whole game.
With the exception of the likes of DW that's pretty much the case, especially in FF7. At the end of the day, it's all about materia (though saying that it's quite possible to complete the game without Materia. Not one to brag, but I DID write the manual on it).