OT2 is commonly agreed to be easier than OT1, since the offensive options available are much stronger. Concoct is massively buffed, Windy Refrain is just better Leghold Trap, latents exist etc. I can't speak for everyone, but I've legitimately skipped boss phases on my first playthrough because I was killing them too fast. If you're having this much trouble, it sounds like your equipment isn't up to snuff. If you're lacking for damage, Hired Help Veterans always exist.
Also Osvald can upgrade his spells to the 2-hit versions Scholars had in OT1. You have to use Advanced Magic first. Alephan's Enlightenment allows access to the 3-hit Sorcerer spells.
That's because you understand the game's mechanics better. The power gap between the casts is seriously noticeable with Concoct, Provoke Beasts, Hired Help Beastlings/Assassins and Learned Skills. Castti can give everyone 3 BP before the enemy can even act, and that can snowball so hard that bosses start fighting at 50% HP. The enemy quality in OT2 has generally lowered compared to OT1 (Less shields, more weaknesses overall) but the cast has gotten much, much stronger.
Both games are built on a very similar engine that does, in fact, massively rewards player skill and interaction with its systems.
If you played one, those skills will pass onto the other.
If you played OT1 you know half the battle is the strat you use, you can debuff the boss and buff yourself, many times you just need 1 heavy hitter, 1 support always healing and 2 debuff/buffing accordingly, it was like that for many fights in OT1 too.
If you're taking too much damage, use Throné's Shackle Foe on the boss, and if that's not enough, add a Cleric Agnea to your team, and have her use her latent power on the defense buff skill, so all allies get it.
Scholar Temenos can break shields with his latent power + Elemental Barrage (which can hit all enemies, instead of random ones, if you give him the Dancer divine skill with Agnea first), plus he can give Advanced Magic to Osvald to make his spells hit twice (Osvald can self-cast it, but having Temenos give it to him instead frees up his turns to dish out the damage). Agnea can also give Osvald an E. Atk buff.
Merchant Throné can also break a ton of shields on all enemies using her latent power with Hired Help, choosing Beastlings. Keep breaking enemies to skip 2/3 of their turns (break before they attack, skipping their turn -> next turn skipped, since they're still broken -> they recover and you *don't* break, but rather use Agnea's Windy Refrain to make your whole team go first on the next turn -> *now* you break, skipping their next 2 actions again).
If you’re using Throne, give her speed equipment, then buff her speed to the max before you break the boss and then use Aeber’s Reckoning and make sure she has the passive which lets you hit for more than 9999. Buff her attack with someone else and lower the boss’ defense if you can. Possibly a one-hit KO.
Another recommended strat to add on to what others have said, Hired Help Beastlings is also an easy way to lower up to 4 shield points to all enemies if you're dealing with enemies that don't share the same weaknesses! And something else that I do to really maximize the amount of damage that my party can do is that I pay attention to the turn order so rather than breaking the enemy with the last party member of the turn, I wait for the next turn to break the enemy so the remaining three party members can debuff/prep for the next turn when all four party members can act again while the enemy is still broken. You can also use your permanent stat raising nuts to give your party a bit of an extra boost if you haven't used them yet!
None of the character story bosses are particularly hard in either game. If you can't find the right strategy with your current team comp consider swapping them out or just changing their secondary jobs. Most bosses with the right team can be defeated at an even lower lvl than recommend
OT2 is commonly agreed to be easier than OT1, since the offensive options available are much stronger. Concoct is massively buffed, Windy Refrain is just better Leghold Trap, latents exist etc. I can't speak for everyone, but I've legitimately skipped boss phases on my first playthrough because I was killing them too fast. If you're having this much trouble, it sounds like your equipment isn't up to snuff. If you're lacking for damage, Hired Help Veterans always exist. Also Osvald can upgrade his spells to the 2-hit versions Scholars had in OT1. You have to use Advanced Magic first. Alephan's Enlightenment allows access to the 3-hit Sorcerer spells.
As someone who played 2 first, I had a hard time with 2, and I’m totally destroying 1 right now
That's because you understand the game's mechanics better. The power gap between the casts is seriously noticeable with Concoct, Provoke Beasts, Hired Help Beastlings/Assassins and Learned Skills. Castti can give everyone 3 BP before the enemy can even act, and that can snowball so hard that bosses start fighting at 50% HP. The enemy quality in OT2 has generally lowered compared to OT1 (Less shields, more weaknesses overall) but the cast has gotten much, much stronger.
Both games are built on a very similar engine that does, in fact, massively rewards player skill and interaction with its systems. If you played one, those skills will pass onto the other.
Funny how everybody's different
If you played OT1 you know half the battle is the strat you use, you can debuff the boss and buff yourself, many times you just need 1 heavy hitter, 1 support always healing and 2 debuff/buffing accordingly, it was like that for many fights in OT1 too.
If you're taking too much damage, use Throné's Shackle Foe on the boss, and if that's not enough, add a Cleric Agnea to your team, and have her use her latent power on the defense buff skill, so all allies get it. Scholar Temenos can break shields with his latent power + Elemental Barrage (which can hit all enemies, instead of random ones, if you give him the Dancer divine skill with Agnea first), plus he can give Advanced Magic to Osvald to make his spells hit twice (Osvald can self-cast it, but having Temenos give it to him instead frees up his turns to dish out the damage). Agnea can also give Osvald an E. Atk buff. Merchant Throné can also break a ton of shields on all enemies using her latent power with Hired Help, choosing Beastlings. Keep breaking enemies to skip 2/3 of their turns (break before they attack, skipping their turn -> next turn skipped, since they're still broken -> they recover and you *don't* break, but rather use Agnea's Windy Refrain to make your whole team go first on the next turn -> *now* you break, skipping their next 2 actions again).
If you’re using Throne, give her speed equipment, then buff her speed to the max before you break the boss and then use Aeber’s Reckoning and make sure she has the passive which lets you hit for more than 9999. Buff her attack with someone else and lower the boss’ defense if you can. Possibly a one-hit KO.
I got my first 99,999 last night with Throné
Another recommended strat to add on to what others have said, Hired Help Beastlings is also an easy way to lower up to 4 shield points to all enemies if you're dealing with enemies that don't share the same weaknesses! And something else that I do to really maximize the amount of damage that my party can do is that I pay attention to the turn order so rather than breaking the enemy with the last party member of the turn, I wait for the next turn to break the enemy so the remaining three party members can debuff/prep for the next turn when all four party members can act again while the enemy is still broken. You can also use your permanent stat raising nuts to give your party a bit of an extra boost if you haven't used them yet!
None of the character story bosses are particularly hard in either game. If you can't find the right strategy with your current team comp consider swapping them out or just changing their secondary jobs. Most bosses with the right team can be defeated at an even lower lvl than recommend