The tactics options are pretty limited and I've been just keeping it at do what you want but that just seems to have them blow everything they have until they're out of mp and getting mp back in this game is a bitch.

I tried don't use abilities but I don't have a giant group of decent auto attack familiars and switching between party members to cast tr spell you need is also kind of a pain. They also seem to always just pick the highest level familiar regardless if they're actually useful when not using abilities.

They need a "grinding" option where they'll use the occasional spell and focus on using familiars with higher attack damage.

I usually just let them blow all of their mana and die. I've long since accepted that it's about the only thing they can do with any sort of consistency.

Sorry I couldn't be of more help. When I searched the internet for advice, the best I got was to the effect of "grind until they're so powerful that it doesn't really matter".

Grrr...The party ai is so bad. Should of been a simple FF12 Gambit menu.

One option I've been going with is to remove the MP heavy tricks/all tricks (or the ones i dont want using, just keep in the cures), that way all they have left is only a few abilites so they cant waste mana like they do. The other option is to let them blow the mana and wait till you get the next level, which restores HP/MP.

I always kept them on "Independent". Can't remember what the exact term is in English but I think it translates to independent. They were always good at healing on time on that option, but they use way too many high powered skills that blow their MP. I found they wouldn't attack often enough when it was on heal so it was the best option. The teammate AI really isn't too good in the game, but it's such an easy game that you shouldn't need to really be bothered by any of that stuff anyway. Even them running out of MP doesn't really matter.

I really couldn't stand how they would always default to one familiar though, I get your pain.

If you are early game, go to Ugly Duckling Isle northeast of Katzbuckel (the city with the cats), it's the southeasternmost island in the clsuter of 3-4 islands up north. Look for an enemy with a stick, looks kind like totoro. They give you 2,500 XP each. If you're farther on, go near Perdida and you'll find the tier 2 of that creature that gives 9,000 XP

Equip them with low MP spells so they don't waste it all in in a single fight. Pray to God that they use the useful familiar, but they mostly like to switch to whichever one is most useless. Don't think about taking control of them and swapping back to the strong familiar, because when you go back to Oliver, you will find him completely drained of mana. Bottomline, the AI is beyond terrible and it is literally unbelievable the game was able to ship like this.