So, I have played a few hours more and I find I am having trouble with the battle system. Battles just seem to tick along and I don't seem to be fast enough to instinctively know which arts (or "special moves" or whatever they are called) are best to use at what time. I just sort of wing it and experiment a lot. Sometimes it works, sometimes not. There seems to be a lot to keep track of, what with arts guages filling and affinities and a party guage and and aggro and moving around the creature, checking if you can string attacks yet, etc. Lower level monsters just seem to take care of themselves, sometimes faster than I know what's happened. Higher level ones are hit and miss. There have been a few monsters I have tried to tackle multiple times without success. Maybe I am just not leveled high enough? But skill should play a role. The monsters I am thinking of were the same level as my party, or maybe one level higher. But they are "unique" monsters that seem to dish out more weird damage effects that I can't seem to keep track of in the heat of battle.
So far, I hav experimented with controlling Shulk sometimes and his pal, the "tank" guy (forget his name) at others. I get that they attack differently and all that so I use them differently. I just don't feel like I am mastering it all yet.
I am holding out hope that I may be using the wrong controller. Part of my confusin factor may have to do with the camera which is difficult to control at the best of times with the wii remote and nunchuk, and extra difficult during battles. I am going to try out the classic controller one of these days, but I don't relish re-learning the controls. I am hopeful the camera is easier to contol during battles with two sticks. Then maybe I can manouver around monsters better and set up attacks more strategically. Right now, i just seem to plow at them as best I can. If I stop to fart around with the camera, I can easily die in the time it takes.
Well, glad I got all that off my chest. If anyone has tips or suggestions, I'd be glad to read them.