Guess im in the minority, I need a good story in my JRPGs, comparisons to genres like FPSs are ridiculous, those games last a few hours at most. If im expected to spend 20-40s playing a game, your story better make sense, the characters better not suck, the mythology better be good. I'm not expecting Stephen King level of story telling, but I expect better than FF13. Otherwise what is my incentive to keep playing?? Gameplay?? The gameplay better be GREAT not good, GREAT. If the story sucks, IMHO there have only been 2 JRPGS i've played where that was the case; FF5 and Pokemon.

Not for me they don't, just so long as the customization and battle actions are fun.

I mean hell, 90% of Japanese RPGs are just "Evil empires are dicks!" stories anyway.

That goes doubly true for SRPGs.