If you're still interested you'll love it! I get the hate for the late game stuff, but I loved it (edit: in retrospect). Didn't really want the game to end anyway. Such an amazing, light and fun RPG with plenty of dungeon crawling grindness and a tonne of costumes and jobs and sub jobs to play with. 

Enough to do it all, (even the dragons and bosses every time) and get every single thing the game had. Think I finished at about 100+ hours.

Time mage got, is red mage different? Not got yet if so...

I clocked about 110hr on this. Well worth it, though like CJB I see why others didnt. Story trope spoiler:
I maxed out every class and every character and would do it again if I had time. There are two moments in the game that were top-tier when it comes to genre. The finale is one of them, but there is also another bit that everyone who sees it will know what it is, fed-ex style.

I love the battle mechanics. 4x speed, set up an effective combo and grinding becomes trivial if you need to get more money or EXP. You still need to learn how to effectively use the skills, but it separates the two aspects enough to make it less tedious and more rewarding. 

Ringabel and Edea bickering was ace.

Pretty sure you can auto battle from early on. I think either X or Y toggles between it. If you enter a set of commands for you characters in a turn, then press auto, they will repeat those commands every single turn. It carries over between battles too if youre running through low level groups or find an effective one.

Pay attention though, it can go balls up quickly.

I liked second as well, would like a third to take place in a whole new world though.

There's a new mobile app game coming out isn't there? That's less desireable for me...

Seriously look at this fucker

Octopath looks the business.

Reached Florem. Getting into my stride with the grind. Nice that the job points are ticking away more quickly now but I still can't decide who does what....

Yeah but the other (n-2) jobs being levelled up are basically useless aren't they? Beyond support abilities I guess. As in you grind at thing and get good at bows, but then change away and your shite at bows. It all leaves me with choice paralysis! Even before buffs and special slots and OMG there's too much CHOOOICCE

Red Mage got!  Huzzah.  Seemed like a nice chap.

Smidge more sub-quest then I think I must be nearly on to Chapter 3.  12-15 hours or so already.  Angel's Bow and Lü Bu's Spear are my friends, haven't really sussed good use of sword fencing or time magic yet, but hopefully that will come...  Got access to Growth Egg and Golden Egg too now, but can't afford them yet.  Fund times.

Onto chapter 3 now, all sub quests done. Rocking Ranger, Valkyrie, Red Mage and White Mage, with occasional rotations (including sub job).

All going pretty well really. Difficulty about right, having to work for boss victories but all kinda doable.

Currently on boatcity. Looking forward to more. But still dreading the end game!

I've realised that apart from black and white magic, and examine, I'm basically never using abilities though. This feels wrong! That's my challenge for tonight. Ooh and I guess I just got a third support point yay.

Great, now I have love in the crossfire stuck in my head again

Ninja's black magic + minus strike is very very useful.

I forget exactly which, but basically minus strike deals your HP difference in damage. So if your max HP is 9999 and your current HP is 1, every hit with minus strike is worth 9998. 

But I think you can also use HP extra magic from salve maker (IIRC) and the numbers get bigger. I think there was a way to do auto revival too.

Six dragons lie dead. A vampire awaits. Looking forward to getting the story going again but keep reading books not playing games.