IX is my favourite FF game
Playing IX for the first time right now. Thus far I like it considerably more than VII. The ability learning is balanced well enough that I'm surprised it bothers people. You get enough without having to grind out every ability so could ignore it.
I just got to the point where you can regularly change your party members, and I'm pretty set on using Zidane, Dagger, Steiner, and Vivi the rest of the way as they're easily my four favourites. Never been one to try and pick the most effective groups, I prefer to just stick a small set of characters I like most. Freya and Amarant might get some more time in the party, though.
Quina's all-around absurd silliness is the only particular negative in the game, similar complaint as I have with Cait Sith. At least they aren't forced on you as party members most of the game so neither are too big a deal.
Oh, and big kudos to piecing a story together when Ramuh joins Dagger. That was a story from Final Fantasy II, my favourite Final Fantasy game(played: I,II,III,IV,VII,XII). Also cool that I got Doga and Une artifacts, references to Final Fantasy III, although I have no idea what good they do other than waste my money at the auction.