Personally, I always liked the random battles. But I hardly think that their presence/absence makes or breaks the game.

But yes, the games have changed, and they will only continue to change. IMHO, there hasn't really been a bad game yet. Some I like more than others, but that's only personal preferences, and I still like them.

But come on, think, are the changes really that bad? They're still coming up with the same great storylines, and to me, that's always been where "the feel" came from. Granted the style of the storylines has changed a bit. My favorites are still FF4, 6, and 7.

And please, do give FF12 a chance. Who's to say that it won't be wonderful when it isn't even out yet?