I think we're talking in circles here. FL says he heard DQ isn't story-focused, the rest of us insist it is, and WK lets everyone know that he doesn't enjoy their favorite games as much as they do.

All I'll add is while DQ is not the in-your-face drama of FF, some moments and plot threads will jump out to leave an emotional impact. Again, I feel the stories are much more cohesive than FF and better at balancing humor with darker moments. The storytelling is much more nuanced than pixel sprites sacrificing themselves at fixed intervals throughout the plot.

Quote Originally Posted by Vyk View Post
So people's whining about having to grind is because they suck at strategizing turn-based combat in long dungeons and resource management. And then the grinding becomes just like any other RPGs where if you want to wipe out a boss completely you grind, or if you want a challenge, you just get there when you can. Is this the right idea? If so, then it has picked up a bad and unnecessary reputation. Because what you're describing doesn't turn me off

I may have to give them a try myself. Though jumping straight into an old-school game isn't what it used to be. Have any of these been decently ported or remade in a modern style to ease the transition?
I'm not callous enough to say people hate things because they suck at them but it goes like this. When you enter a dungeon, you have finite health and limited items and MP to replenish it. Sounds obvious, except you don't have the potion hordes of other games, MP-replenishments are near non-existent, and, in combat, your characters can only use the items they have on them in their 8 slots. Some monster group combinations are pushovers, while others require you to utilize low-cost spells and choose targets efficiently to minimize the HP you lose per battle. If you can do this while avoiding traps and solving puzzles quickly, you can then blow your MP load on nukes and buffs to vanquish the boss in one dungeon run. This all sounds incredibly generic and expected but what sets DQ apart is how perfectly balanced and finely-tuned everything is (the targeting mechanics are another differentiator). Its rewarding "easy to learn, hard to master" philosophy is the secret to its cross-generational mass appeal in Japan, along with charming worlds and clever puns.

I'd recommend you start with DQVIII as it's the consensus gateway drug. Be advised some areas might seem grindy but it's a very long story with a massive (and gorgeous) open world which expects you to enjoy exploration and rewards you for following your curiosity.