Actually, only very few enemies have a chance to start the battle with an AoE. In fact, AoE usage is more limited than in the base game. Many enemies are set to not use AoE several times in a row, whereas in the base game, they can basically access them whenever they want (Grendel, Cockatrice, Chimera or Bahamut to name a few). Please check thoroughly before spreading misinformation out of anger.
As for your actual issue: Check your ATB speed setting and reduce it if it's on max. I assume it is, as no enemy can do 6 attacks before you get even 2 turns on normal ATB speed settings. I've already explained several times - at one point even to you directly - that high ATB speed settings are not recommended as they give enemies an unfair speed advantage that you can't negate even with supernatural reflexes. The higher the ATB speed is set, the more attacks enemies get compared to you, that's how it is even in the base game - it becomes noticably more difficult then. And I'm not willing to balance the difficulty of this mod around this setting. It's just way too fast.
Guess I'll have to add this information to the opening post and mod documentation until a proper ATB speed adjustment is ready (I know there is a setting for that in the Doomtrain tool, but changing it so that max Speed becomes more managable results in standard speed settings becoming super slow) - too many players fell for it already, without realizing where the issue stems from, rather blaming the mod instead. I'll do my best to finally come up with that long-needed fix (also making the ATB stop when selecting targets), so this issue can finally be put to rest.
Okay, so I will agree that you right about the ATB speed adjustment and I would be happy to retract my statement on that.
However, I do want to mention, there are a lot of mobs in this mod that do a lot of AOE, whether I had the speed at full or not, which again was my mistake, there are a lot of enemies in this mod that are doing AOE, I am not just spreading misinformation, I have another friend who's playing alongside me and is having the same issue.
There is even a series on youtube of a person playing the same mod, having the same issue...
With that said, thank you for the update!