FF13 without grinding was easier than FF1 even after grinding.
I'm not going to disagree with that. I do however feel that there have been better examples of good RPG combat systems prior to FF12. Though this exposed weaknesses in the genre it doesn't help that FF12 was also a weak entry.I would argued it simply exposed the weak game mechanics of RPGs in general. We often joke about simply needing to mash X to win, but to have an A.I. system show it to us is another thing.