[General Discussion] RPG Elements: Characters

So this came up in another thread and I suppose it'll make a good discussion.

As far as characters go, would you rather Fully Customizable, Completely Unique, or a somewhere down the middle?

I like the best of both worlds since each character still has some defining traits within battle so there's some reason to use them since they offer something that nobody else has. My all time favorite game: Final Fantasy VI offers this type because while every character can be outfitted with magic, characters have unique abilities outside of magic. Sabin has Blitz, Edgar has Tools, Terra has Morph, Celes has Runic, Locke can Steal, and so on.

Being Completely Unique, IMO, makes every character VERY defined, but can cause troubles at certain parts of the game, and makes it somewhat harder if you lack a certain ability or whatnot. Having Fully Customizable characters makes the game significantly easier and in battle, no single character stands out anymore.

Opinions?

Jam it back in, in the dark.