RPG MECHANICS II : UNIQUE ACTION COMMAND THEORY

Yes, but FFVI have a different spirit (more like FFII and IV, and later IX), and FFV tied up character habilities because it have only 4 playable characters. Think that when... the 5 character comes to the team it takes the role and all of Galuf.

You cant make a game with a great flexibility and also a individualitzation of the characters, because it will be too complex. One thing or other, not all. It need an equilibrium, and FFVII its less flexible than FFV, but have more unique elements in characters. I think its a good formula.

The things you say are ok, but i dont thing its bad. Flexibility its a option, an style, like any other.

As for unlimited, the point is that when you level materia, whoever uses it will gain the benefit. Magicite not just require you to level up the magicite, but you had to level up the magicite WITH the character so it gave stats boost and skills accordingly.

They are different styles, nothing more. In FFVII ALL its indendepent, they didnt create the 9 characters to give a lot of individual options, only to put a little variety and for the history.

In FFVII you dont level up a character at all, you level up materia, characters are equivalent, even with the limit breaks. They also autolevel and the limits (that advance killing enemies) are equalated with the level later.

In a game with a theme based in characteritzation, you cant do what FFVII does, but in a game with a flexible gameplay theme, its normal.

edit:

It's not bad, I just didn't like it. And you're right, it isn't unlimited, but I never liked how you could almost always obtain another Counter/All/Bahamut Materia. The customization in the game was good, but it was never unique except for the limit breaks (unique being the key word there).

FFVII its not perfect, i agree with that the game its too easy and some things are a litte simplified or inbalaneced. FFV its far better. Yes, you have alot of ranures, and materias, yes, its a problem of the game, but even of this it have a lots of strategy, only that you will have to play it extremly.

Personally, i think that the main problem of FFVII balance and strategy isnt the materia (that improves a lot in some ways and in general its a good system, like in combining habilitys and making formulas) but the Limit Break system that everybody likes.
The limit break its the trully "unlimited" thing in the game. ¿You have played some game where for playing bad you get rewarded? Well, here is FFVII, who with the other errors, it have a system that can make you win every battle with totally stupid strategy.

Limits are overpowred, give you a turn, have priority, not consume nothing, and also advance even if you kill enemies with magic. Even without fury stat, its too easy to have it. Just think in it, its like any other game have eternal PM. Some of the limits, like Tifa, are one of the worse balanced thing i never seen.

I think Square was thinking on making good only an spectacular system, because the cost in gameplay terms is terrible. And yes.. i like the idea and the graphics, but nothing more. All later games, except FFIX (that maybe was just too random) have this error. Like in FFX with the Aeons Turbo, reserving it you can kill all the bosses of the games in two turns...