The only thing I really miss are detailed world maps with plenty of unique out-of-the-way locations, as well as a variety of modes of transport with which to explore them. One of my favorite aspects of Lost Odyssey is how it brought that back to a significant extent.

Quote Originally Posted by trancekuja View Post
I'll start : the feeling of joy when you , after the long search , finally encounter a rarity such as Stingray is just priceless. The sight is so rare , you almost don't want to kill the poor bastard. No , ADB can produce that.
There are rare monsters in FFXII, too. You don't need random encounters to achieve that feeling.

Quote Originally Posted by Bolivar View Post
Random encounters were great because they allowed storytelling to be continuous. Characters could converse in battle, or certain events could happen in the middle of them. This includes Gilgamesh being caught in funny situations in FFV, or Palmer getting hit by a truck in FFVII ending the battle. For FFXII, they had to basically stop battle, begin a cutscene, end the cutscene, and begin a new battle. That's regression.
You couldn't hit Gilgamesh or Palmer while they were pulling their antics in old games, either. The battle is paused either way.