Battle "target" times are random as shit. Why do some take me 10 min when it says "5". Why do others take me 2 min when target is 13? (i.e. a boss battle in chapter 10, the other l'Cie) Oh well, still fun.
He must get better later on. Right now for me, he sucks hard. I basically just cast protect then let Lightning kill them while I heal + the occasional RAV.
I like Hope as a character, just hes weak in battle.
I do love FF13 alot, but I've always been a fan of linear-story driven games. Hate open worlds to be honest, I like structure.