I've been playing since December and still am up to my chest in side quests. I know already that once I finish the storyline, I'll have at least another 20 hours of shiz to do.
I gotta agree that the story could be less shallow and to have all the characters other than Balthier have more developed personalities(Bathier has more than enough for everyone at times). Ashe is a robot, true story. xD
The game play I must admit is my new alternative to random battles. It just works in a much less monotonous way than just setting the cursor to memory and smashing the confirm button to oblivion. I took the time to clear out the liscence grid early, and use no other accessory than the embroidered tippet(doubles EXP) the whole time. Still not at level 99, but I got a lot of stuff I wasn't supposed to at earlier times. Gambits are ok, but there aren't enough to make something really foolproof; it's probably better that way, since I'm always on my feet.
What I like most about this game? The FFVI references. This is the first FF I've played (I never touched 9, 11 or anything under 6) where most of the names, references, etc. come from VI. Oh, and if you find this one Bangaa in Rabanastre, he makes a "Spoony Bard" reference! xD
Oh, and yes; this game crushes most other FF's, except for VI. Being a SNESRPG retrofreak, NOTHING can beat the 2-D classics.