Effectively, yes. It doesn't matter how many crests you form or how complex the balance of elements is -- if you don't have the necessary energy, nothing will happen. But like I said, it's still not completely understood; we don't know the range from which elements are manipulated, or where some people find the energy to trigger more powerful crests. [...Like the Ten Wise Men and the Crest of Annihilation.]

[But it all makes sense after the grand reveal in Star Ocean 3. Sob.]