It's one thing to say that you just don't like FF12. However, completely bashing it without seriously trying to get into the game, THEN proceding to praise another game like it's "God's Gift?" ...You gotta be kidding me. This is just asking for your logic and common sense to be put into question as well as for your statement itself to get ripped apart, stitched back together, then drawn and quartered on 4 heavily-armored chocobos on speed.
To address your "concerns" over the gameplay: As stated earlier, the Final Fantasy series has been built on revolutionizing and reinventing the combat system. It went from static (FF1-3) to ATB (4-9) to CTB (10). Attempting a combat system that further smooths out the flow of the action is what was done in FF12. However, there is always the option of setting the system to Wait if the player is more accustomed to the more traditional style as well as if the player is more methodical or in a pinch.
As far as the presentation goes, you're gonna need to get over the fact that Tetsuya Nomura had NO PART in the design for the game. If you can't then you must not've liked or even bothered giving Vagrant Story a chance, did you? In retrospect, Nomura is one of my personal favorite character designers, but seeing a different art style is actually refreshing.
To continue, let's cover what your beef seems to be with the story. A lot of the developers at Square Enix are admitted fans of Star Wars and LotR. ...And you weren't expecting to see refereces thereto somewhere in the game? Right... And I got some beachfront property in San Bernardino to sell you. The story itself is presented at a slow, methodical and in-depth pace. There's a lot of history behind the world and it's inhabitants. Of course, you'd realize that if you had given the game as much of a shot as you claimed. Just to let you know, the pacing for the game was too slow for me, thereby I couldn't get as far into it as others. Of course, that's after I had completed a good 80+ percent of the game. Shoddy storyline covered up by badly spoken Olde English? I think ye doth protest too much.
Earlier, I mentioned heavily armored chocobos on speed. You remember that? Or are you too busy fuming over this game's failure? Pay close attention, now, as we cover the beloved mascots of the series. The majority of chocobos in the game are armored. The ones you fight out in the field are not. The chocobos in previous games had a fluffier look to them. The anatomy and physiology on these birds in this particular game is closer to how something feathered would look when existing in an arid, war-torn region. As for the moogles... Take some time to really look over how much they've changed since their introduction. They came from being "Stay-Puft Marshmallow Cherubs" to what they are in 12, and guess what? It's likely they'll get changed up for 13.
Now, you want logic as far as experience and money drops after combat? It's already been said. What in the world makes you think that when you kill something, piles of money will just ooze from their wounds where blood should be? Money is acquired in a mostly real-world manner... through commerce. Buying, selling and trading. On a quick note about main characters in the FF games, at least half the games in the series did not have a definite main character. Some had multiple, others you didn't meet until later in the game as the story really revealed itself and was fleshed out. Of course, that requires taking the time to really play the game. Not just skim through over a rental period.
Take it from me, someone who is not at all... I repeat NOT AT ALL a fan of FF12. This game is one that's at least worth doing your homework on before bashing it. Oh, and just to let you know... Outside of Auron, Lulu and Kimahri... I utterly despised FF10.
Ladies and gentlemen, thank you and good day.
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