I’m about 3/8 through the entire game already (Shining Force of Sega Genesis origins). Everyone is only levels 9-12, so they are vulnerable but the game is going faster and a little more challenging by not just leveling up.
The AI in Shining Force I is kind of awful, whereas Shining Force II had four difficulty levels and actually makes intelligent decisions as an AI. As such, you basically have to handicap yourself to keep things fair early on. That is, until much later in the game, where the Torch Eyes can 2-shot most of your team regardless of your level. But we’ll worry about that later.
Anyway, after I beat this game, I may go back to playing Pokemon Crystal (Game Boy Color origin) or maybe Super Mario 64. So much time to do nothing!