I prefer predetermined roles. But I like both ways really.

I just hated the way it was in XII because all the characters were quite literally EXACTLY the same. People are pointing out VII but at least in VII they all had their own set of different limit breaks and different weapons. Same with VIII, X and XIII. XII is the only one where your characters are all just the exact same blank empty shells of characters in battle.

That's not to say I didn't think FFXII was a fabulous game in it's own right.