The epic-ness of the melodramatic Final Fantasy soap opera, that is. They've made ten games like that, and it's made their series one of the best selling of all time. Fans enjoyed it. *I* enjoyed it. I understand that someone who didn't would be pleased to see the formula change, but really, I don't think it's a good idea for them to do so. Not radically, anyway. Growth and maturation aren't things to strive for in and of themselves; a game is not better simply because it grows up. It'll reach a different audience, sure, but not necessarily a wider one by any means.

I guess what I'm trying to say is that, while I'm glad you liked Final Fantasy XII, you did so because it's a different kind of game. You liked it because it lacked most of what has defined Final Fantasy for the past couple decades, in the eyes of its fans. That identity is one of the most valuable things in video games these days, and I think it'd be a huge mistake for Squeenix to leave it behind.

And it looks like they agree, from everything I've heard. XIII is being made by a much more traditional FF team, and seems to be returning the series to its roots, in a lot of ways. With any luck at all, XII will go down in history as a lackluster exception-to-the-rule for most of us, and a classic diamond-in-the-rough to a select few.