a few questions

Okay, they're both very easy questions, and the first is more opinion based then anythng else. That would be how fast do you all believe  a character should learn moves?  also, depending on your preference, how much more powerful should I make each move then the last one? finally, ending the move questions, what should the balance be between attack power and mana cost? 
another question, if I want the characters to start out with attack/defense/stats similar to the ones you begin with in ff7 (about 50 dmg,ect) what should I make them? and if I want them to grow stronger at about the same rate as you did in that game, what should the stat increase/level uppage thing be? thanks so much!

Well for a fun and tactical battle, all abilities should serve a purpose.  Rather than making new abilities stronger, why not make them different.  Initial skills could be just elemental skills, newer skills could inflict an attack damage and a status change.  My four starting skills (You need scripts for No.2) are:

Risky Shot - A very varying damage is dealt, good for desperation moments.
Combo Bullets - If the user can input the on screen buttons in time, he deals a heavy hit, or else misses.
Fire - Standard fire based magical attack
Focus - Raises The ATK and DEF of the caster by 1/4.

I'd say by the end of an rmxp game, 10 skills each should suffice, unless the player can someway buy skills, then ytou can have more variety available.  Rather than having lots of skills, try and make the player decide which he has to use in various circumstances.

And an IMPORTANT note.  If you do not understand algorithms, do not screw with the state types rmxp gives you, you are likely to destory the balance of your game overtime.  I tried, and I failed and it was a lot of time wasted.  Now I just have Hp as it is, but have max MP as 999, instead of 9999, that's an easy change because you just have to make it relative to the skills, hope this helps! 

--Combo Bullets - If the user can input the on screen buttons in time, he deals a heavy hit, or else misses.--
Link to script please?

I don't know if its just for me, but hbgames.org seems to be down right now.  It's on there by a guy called claimh, and it's called tactical skills.  Have a browse in the forum script listings if you can, or if you don't find it with a search.

Yeah sorry about the DP, but I figured Qig would have already seen my previous post and I'm being helpful! 

Here's your link buddy: http://www.hbgames.org/forums/showthread.php?t=9137&highlight=claimh

thanks so much guys! sorry i havent replied sooner, vaca!