The older I get, the harder I can tolerate JRPGS' little quirks. I'm still stuck on Lost Odyssey's last 20% because I'm just sick of random encounters every 5 secs.
Since about 2002 or so I've tried to play through about five or so of the stat-heavy "niche" console strategy/party-based RPGs from Japan and just cannot do it. I should like them, but I think it's a combination of A) gaming on consoles feels weird to me now since I've been playing games on my PC almost exclusively for years now and B) a lot of the time I have to sit through a bunch of linear, no-option dialogue and other non-interactive elements for a significant portion of time, which drives me nuts.
I'd rather play a game sort of like X-COM (or its more recent derviatives after modding), ToEE or Jagged Alliance 2 than the strategy RPGs-more strategy, more "meat" to the game, and if I want an story RPG I always go back to the D&D games since they offer larger party customization and dialogue choices to keep me involved in how the story develops. As a bonus, it means less ridiculously over the top JRPG story wankery, and more Western style pulp fantasy fiction-a choice that definitely meets my tastes more.
Not that I play a RPG more than once per quarter or so at best. I pretty much spend all my time with strategy games and their allies these days.
