Your character as background decoration <Spoilers>

[Niqote]

Honestly, I feel a majority of the bad feelings towards our characters inactivity could have been solved by a few instances where we got a chance to fight.

I mean Dynasty Warriors style... lots and lots of brass blades that while not particularly strong... would wear you down with sheer numbers and when your HP reached a critically low point you would get booted to the new cutscene where they tell you to 'Go, I'll hold them off!'

At least then it would have separated the 'but I am the warrior of light and i can beat the hell out of them' way of thinking from the plot.

Also it would have been a LOT of fun.

Talia Hailwind's points above are very good ones also and I had similar thoughts about each unfolding event. ^^