Well yes, Jim, I didn't say that I personally do use the traps that much. I started to use them more with the Yoshi (in SoA) after encounters with the mobs, against whom I didn't quite have the tools yet. Guess I ran into them too soon, that's the inenevitable truth after you have been through the game before. I wasn't totally "out of tools", say against the golems - I had the Flail of Ages and the Staff of Rhynn, just that no one in the party was good enough to use these effectively or strong enough to face the golems. Then I remembered that "Hey! Traps! I can use those" and so I did. It's pretty fun to watch too those fools charge you and then get half of the floor blown in their face.

As for me, then I usually play tank types and it goes usually like this: someone tells that frontal assault is impossible, since it would be a suicide. I say "I see..", run to the front door, kick it open, yell "Surrender fools!' and charge in :D Ahh, the mayhem what ensues. And yep, fun too. The "bosses" I often "lay down" with a smack in the face by my plate covered fist, they are to be lying there while I smack their minions, to be the last ones to beat up. Just to show them how futile their resistance was muahah...er... ;)

spike traps can sometimes be a bit unfair (though they are so cool) but there are some battles where you don't really have time to set them up. e.g. sendai enclave and the first battle with the final boss.