>>716078785
The combat really takes its sweet time to open up, mind you. If you've played XC1, you should know where it is going (all Xenoblade games share obvious core elements, adding new systems or going either vertical or horizontal with each new installment).
As a piece of advice, do the story as much as possible, don't try to do sidequesting (or don't do much) until you've finished chapter 3. After chapter 3, you'll have unlocked pretty much all of the battle mechanics, it will make exploration better. And acquiring those mechanics as soon as possible is also better.
I can find those handy copy pastas with nice battle tips if you want.