Fair points although for many I doubt they're seen as a problem.
While of course it doesn't affect every game, there is a clear progression in gaming towards simplification and the removal of anything that could be deemed onerous for the player I feel, and this title did seem to exhibit the normal symptoms of that design mindset.
This means HUD's that point the way, most puzzles handed to you on a plate and a focus on what I think of as continuous gameplay - funneling the player through encounters with little to confuse or divert them from the flow and no need to really manage anything much about their characters or working out what to do and where to go do it.
I haven't played that much FF, although I've played a few RPGs in general, and I was surprised (although not nearly as bothered as you!) that there was so little interaction and that until you hit Gran Pulse there was nothing to do but follow a straight line, fight a bit, and watch cutscenes.
As for the battle system it was okay but I found the issue (for me anyway) was that while I felt selecting my attacks was better in principle, and certainly more involving, it was simply too slow. Auto-selecting worked better overall but it meant you did nothing but hit X for the most part and let your team sort it out.
The paradigm shifts gave you a bit more input and the ability to switch tactics, but I felt the system should have been two-tier - the existing system with a lower level where you could then sub-select from pre-set attack/defense combos within that paradigm.
It's ironic, I think, that in a game whose core narrative theme is making your own choices you as the player are rather limited in your choices.
Try to be reasonable... its easier than you think...
