I'm afraid I can't answer all of your comments and questions Skyblade, but I can say that Elizabeth's story in P4 Arena shows that Erebus is still very much a threat. Mankind is still subconsciously wishing for the end, and I think a good real world example to show this is how much attention people give to apocalyptic theories like the Mayan Calendar, Nostradamus' Quatrains, and the Book of Revelations.

As for the Shuffle Draw of P4, I like that it gave more options including recreating the randomized upgrade/leveling/mutation system of P2. I also like that the negative effects kept the dungeons interesting. P3's system is practical and good, but I just found P4's to be a little more fun and have better rewards at the cost of some steep risks.