I'm guessing we all agree that the materia system needs big changes.
Anyway:
- encounter design that encourages balanced group comps
- encounters and dungeons designed to be inclusive to all jobs instead of being designed around niches
- game mechanics that discourage class/job stacking
- swimming and flying
- melee red mage
- adventuring fellow/companion
- quest chains with interesting story lines attached to them (preferably with a large over-arching plot)
- overhauled materia system
- perks/feats instead of point allotment
- whips, rapiers and trucheons/maces as available weapon classes aside from books and dual guns
