I AM HERE TO REASSURE YOU ABOUT LIGHTNING RETURNS. But I am also here to say 'play it on Easy'. (I read this article recommending Easy Mode before I first played the game, and I'm glad I did.) Easy Mode makes it easier to get EP, which you can use to activate Chronostasis, which stops time for a while. The battles are still challenging enough, in my opinion, but you can take away some of the stress of the time limit.

But we had someone awful (like, heavy breathing at me and all) for a bit

What the hell? I'm glad he got kicked, and that the other people are great.

(I like that you feel the need to include 'obligatory post-cut text' even when you actually have something to say after the cut.)