The only way in which TA2 is disappointing is the main plot. Which may seem like a lot, but the game has so much going for it that it evens out.

Both FFT and FFTA have fantastic characters and thought-provoking stories that break the mold of conventional RPGs - something Matsuno is great at. Both stories make you question what is right and what is not, subverting many expectations for what JRPGs are supposed to be. In one of them, you're following someone who pretty much doesn't matter from the point of view of historians and his foil is a real hero who's done tons of good to the world at large, but at the same time is incredibly morally dubious, though that's still completely justified from his point of view in the story. Shows the corrupt side of politics and how corrupted you have to be to be able to make a difference and be remembered. The other is an incredibly well-crafted take on escapism and how sometimes something immediately gratifying may not actually be good or healthy in the long run (and yet people still spew the BS that is "Marche is the true villain" )

Honestly, I love both, but if I were to choose one, TA wins by a margin. The systems worked better for me here, and I loved the introduction of races and the more colorful Ivalice later seen in XII.