This game gives you ability to power-game it is just a bit too rough in the beginning. Only real issues I have with it is no respawn and big role of RNG seeds (example: rerolling vendor's inventory is nightmare).

You can power-game early on by rolling vendor's inventory for +Exp and Resist gear while extensively farming cereals being maximum encumbered. Exp bonuses stack very well. It is best to do so early game. Why? You get lowest tier of gear (means - cheapest, and shops are subject to level-scaling), it is very easy to get encumbered (fast time passing), and you get maximum potential of Exp bonuses if you get them the earliest moment possible.

And if you Exp-scam (getting Wisdom trait the earliest possible moment too), you will eventually get to the point when all useful skills are maxed. Another power-gaming moment - Knowledge of herbs. If you will wait to collect herbs until you max this skill, you will be able to get huge boost to all stats later on. This game has no hard caps on level/stats.

To that point, I have cheated savegame on forum here, you can check it out if you want to see how high-end skills work or if you just want to play the game in "story mode".

This game really is min-max hell. The way damage over time and other debuffs stacks is pretty interesting, though, even if it is a bit on the "cycle of hurting" side. AoE sleep is a bit over the top IMO, though.

I really wish skills were always viable. They shouldn't be in the game if they're not. And if you're not supposed to level a skill up, it should only have one level. When half of the skills in the game are n00b traps, that's a design problem.

It's also a bit mean that Gaulen doesn't do damage until, what, level 10? Aside from his one trick, he's retreat-guy and forager-guy. Well, other than that you can give him some gear and put him in front of a mage or something.

I know. And those aren't rpgs at all. The games have rpg mechanics, sure. But an rpg, in the true sense, is a gam where you create your character from scratch. Stat-wise, and also personality-wise. His\her goals, world-views, motivations. All that stuff.

You basically say that Dragon Quest, Final Fantasy, Shining series, Phantasy Star series, Lufia series, etc., etc., etc.... aren't rpgs.

Controlling pre-made character(s) is as viable rpg concept as having to create all characters from scratch.
Level suppression exploit was fixed by one of the patches according to patch notes (I can't really confirm, as I play unpatched version, waiting for very definitely final patch which should come with workshop very soon)

Yup. Final Fantasy is pretty much just a movie with turn based combat in between the scenes.

In parts VI-X,, XIII, maybe. Parts I-V and XII didn't suffer from overabundance of unskippable cutscenes. And you can't really play FF XII as a movie (you can skip cutscenes there), or you might get distracted and enter some place like Zertinan Caverns too early and get eaten by local wildlife :) or you get nuked by Entites because you disregarded their presence :)

And what about other game series which I mentioned?:) What about Unchained Blades, Shining in the Darkness, Shining the Holy Ark? Breath of Fire series, Arc the Lad series, Lunar series, Grandia series, Suikoden series... I can just keep listing and listing.

As I said, both approaches are viable.

Never played the others, so I can't comment on those.