Your jump distance is different depending on your strength...A character with high strength can make jumps a character with low strength cannot. If your party acted like lemmings and follow the first active person, they would jump to their death. This happens with "Us" in the ship sometimes, where he doesn't clear the jump. They automated that one party member since it is the tutorial, and even he has problems with it if you have a high strength character and do not move him out of the way immediately.
There are hidden areas a low strength character cannot get to without magic, which is exactly how it should be in the name of balance. Soloing with an 8 strength character forces you to get misty step as soon as possible.
