Here's how I see it.

I grew up on FF and DQ. Dragon Warrior was my 1st RPG and FF came shortly after. That's probably why I really like both series. Anyway, whereas FF is heavily Story based and complex compared to DQ, to me DQ adds a certain amount of challenge that seems to disappeared from FF, while at the same time being very simple and nostalgic(for those of us that grew up on it).

On a side note, I think that the World Map style used in DQVIII was perfect - it retained the Overworld that I've heard fans of FF complaining has disappeared since FFIX, but does so in a way that REALLY immerses you in the world - the towns and castles, as well as other major landmarks, are to scale instead of miniature 3-D or Sprite versions.