Been doing that to actually try and keep my party similarly leveled in the game. I have seen that stage almost 100 times, and if that's the grinding spot for the game, no wonder it got old for me, fast.
Figured I'd play the demo to 5 before going back to the first game, and I already see improvements to stuff I couldn't stand. Is 5 the first game that lets you recruit people and not have them start at level 1? It seems like such a smart decision, and I worry
every other title kinda omits that feature.