Interesting. It seems as if we have a very different understanding of what going through these story quests actually entails.

The format is ABSOLUTELY NOT that you do a bunch of story quests and then when you complete them you do a bunch of battles. They are completely intertwined. As you level up and as you go through story quests, there are many battles - many of which you CANNOT do alone. Anyone that you want to play with is completely capable of not only joining you at any point along the way (granted, there are some small pieces that you really do have to do alone, but they are the exception rather than the norm), but they have many incentives to do so. For instance, if it's your first time completing a duty, all present get a bonus reward.

And please don't be discouraged by the sentiments of "if you don't like story, get out." It's totally okay to like certain aspects of the game more than others. That said, if you truly do find them "hell," yes, please stop torturing yourself and move on.