Another aspect that differs from many of today's game is just how long it took to progress. Every upgrade felt earned. Today, rewards are tossed at players.
Interesting that progression was massively eased in later versions.
It depends on how it's earned though, I think the brainless grinding is no longer fun or rewarding. FFIX removed, solved, or hid a lot of the tedium of a lot of MMOs.
Interesting that progression was massively eased in later versions.