As good as Ultimate Tactics
Firstly, you guys continue to impress me. For a "free" game, these are certainly not "free" quality. And for the record, a sequel IS demanded :)
I'm only in the third area (jungle) and around level 11, so keep this in mind.
(+) Fun, certainly more challenging than Ultimate Tactics, pet options, weapon options, armor options, techniques to learn (both fighting and magical), beautiful, lots of places to explore, good speed of development, etc. (though pets maybe should develop faster).
(-) No reviving pets, healing items expensive, feather expensive, "INN" expensive, weapons and armor are expensive for that matter, but the quest ones fix this, need to get stronger pet healing items (maybe just sooner? I have yet to see them)
Suggestions:
I too felt more NPC's were needed. There is... one? Just show a face in the shops and such. That would actually improve the feel a lot.
More obvious pet differences. They just seem to have better stats, and some cause poison. Though I've only seen 7 pets. Maybe have a "tank" pet, a "magic attack" pet, a "status affliction" pet, a pet that heals you... (I actually have had an idea of a summoner game similar to this, so I have thought through this a LOT and would be happy to share ideas... which you can use or not as you wish, I don't have time/skill to actually make such a game).
Rewards for exploration. It is difficult to get around because you need to conserve enough to get back. I'd like if there was pay-off for exploration.
Pet-related exploration. That is, some pets could let you cross water or fly out of the area, etc. This would then require more than 3 pets be available (7 sort of are if you count the hatchery).
Aggressive foes should respawn more slowly. Maybe just respawning should be slower. Some foes take a little to kill. By the time I finish, I'm being attacked by the guy I killed before him again... yipes!
I would spread-out the recolored foes. That way we see more variety up front.
Glitches:
I experienced few and mostly of little consequence (the ground appears above the character...). At one point however, my pet was poisoned and his HP jumped up and down a LOT, like down hundreds of points, then back up. (Funny because there were poison-related glitches in Ultimate Tactics as well.)
Overall:
Fun game. And lots to do. DEFINITELY play it. Definitely make a sequel.