Yes, and many more things.

The entire system was just ... weird. Not broken but weird. I have only gotten to the part where Seifer is storming into the president speech, and later follows the sorceress, so I haven't really gotten used to the entire gameplay system, but then again if a system that is so complex that I haven't even learned it after being a couple of hours into the game, then something is seriously wrong.

   First, the draw magic ability. It really breaks my suspension of disbelief. I will accept that a low rank SeeD candidate without any leveling in the game is able to summon a huge ice goddes and a mega-thunderbird to destroy all before I accept that the humans in the game just magically has the ability to draw magic from stuff and then using it. I mean, drawing 8 "cure" from a huge robot and then being able to cast 8 cures is just wrong, why did the robot even have "cure"? Why didn't it use any?.

Also, the junction system... god where did RPG's go wrong. Ok, first of all, I have to junction a GF (huge destructive monster/god) to a character before I can even give him/her the ability to use ITEMS! ... It's wrong, just wrong, why would I need a huge monster to help me use items?... Then junctioning the drained magic to stats and to weapons, wtf?

I know that the junction system is somehow supposed to give players an insane amount of customization, but seriously how fun can customizing stats be? Spending points on fire magic to improve fire magic, or spending points on strenght is all the customization I need in an RPG. It's not fun customizing stats, it's fun watching the results, therefore customizing stats should be easy and intuitive since there are things that are more fun to do in the game.

FF8 is a good game, the graphics are good for PS1, the characters are interresting so far. But the gameplay system damn near makes it unplayable.

If they try to replicate the FF8 gameplay in FF13...

I just hope they won't.

Oh, I didn't mean gameplay. I hate to offend any ff8 fans, because ff8 is one of my fav games of all time, but some of the gameplay was horrid. The draw system was terrible. I spent so many hours just drawing magic from enemies. It was such a waste of time.

I mean that I hope the story and tone will be similar. They are similar already, they are both modern, have cars and fashion rather than goblins and clown uniforms.

@KungKras

Well to me it was exactly the oposite :) To me the junction system is on par with the Job system in FFV, the best system in a FF game ;)

Yes, it all comes down to the insane customization options that you'll have available down in the game, plus, it also makes you think strategically on how to disperse your GF's and your magic through your characters, so that you will be able to plan and carry out different strategies and combat possibilities. It allowed for some serious overpowered characters which could literally wipe the floor with anything, even Omega xD.

I didn't like the draw system too much, it's like you say, if they had the magic, why didn't they use it? It would had made for a more strategic game, since their Draw magic would be depleted as they used it, thus making you haste to the task of drawing it, should you want it or not. The same could be said for GF that could only be drawn from Bosses.

^It's a good thing square keeps making new systems with each game, sometimes more intuitive, and sometimes more complex.
I personally prefer user-friendly and simple systems, and using mana to cast spells that the characters learn at certain levels, but I get that some really hardcore RPG players may want a more sophisticated system to play around with.

I wonder if square ever will find a way to balance those values, or if they will keep making some games simple and some complex.

Well, they tried it with FF2, but it backfired completely :P People didn't like the ultimate customibilization that the game had, because it lost too much of the FF spirit with it.

I think past FF games have a good balance in that system with the Sphere Grid and the License Board. Let's see what the Crystallium system brings :)

^I hope the crystallium system will be good. I wouldn't want to be driven insane by the new FF like how 8 is driving me insane right now xD

xD Don't worry, just hang in there and probably you'll start to like FF8 :P FF13 will be great, I really believe it :)