I love Aeris, but I don't baby her. I don't think I've ever used the back row in FF7. She's right up there with everyone else. And everyone else is just as likely to die as her. I don't honestly see her as any weaker except maybe in attacking. But that never really caught me as annoying so it must not have been too different. I think the Aeris haters like to exagerate. A lot.