Turn-based games tend to be way more repetitive. Battles in FF games have always been repetitive. That's just the nature of the games. If each enemy required you to change the way you fight, then I'd agree. But 90% of the games had you simply unleach your most powerful attacks, or spam the fight command.

Final Fantasy games barely ever asked the player to think strategically. Odd exceptions were the occasional bosses, some unique special enemies, and uber monsters/weapons. Those aren't nearly enough to pretend the actual games were strategic or deeper because of their turn-based nature.

First paragraph, you are talking about all games ever right? All games are repetitive, it's in their nature. The latter sentence is especially true, in what games don't you unleash your most powerful attack when you can?

On the second paragraph, all RPGs have the grind, FF had a great pace though where the grind was part of the game and while you may not have had to do much thinking it was enjoyable getting to the next part of the story. What FF did really well though is make sure you are learning as you go. Yahtzee said once that a boss fight is meant to be a test for all we've learnt up to that point and FF games did that exceptionally. Most boss fights cannot be completed by just pressing Fight.

There's no such thing as a real or classic Final Fantasy. They've all been mostly different since 6. The problem with the series is each person has their own belief of what that classic staple feel is and it creates a wide rift in the fan-base.

No. Most bosses can be completed by unleashing your strongest attacks. No more thoughts required than that. 

"All games are repetitive, it's in their nature." 

So we agree that the complaint that action-rpgs are more repetitive is baseless.

"What FF did really well though is make sure you are learning as you go. "

They can do that with FFXV's batlle system as well.

All bosses are defeated by unleashing your big attacks. I doubt people really ever beat bosses by chipping away with their most basic attacks. :P

All games are repetitive, saying turn based is repetitive or action RPG or MMOs or FPS or Fighting games, all repetitive.

Fair enough, wasn't saying you won't.

This thread is funny xD

When I think of a Final Fantasy without turn based combat and with only one playable character the ones that come to mind are Crisis Core and Dirge of Cerberus. I didn't hear anyone claiming that those were "classic Final Fantasy" games then, why should FF XV be treated different now?

Pessimist expectations are the realistic expectation after 3 rounds of a very weak FFXIII. Square needs to prove they can deliver, not that they can promise.

FF12 is barely top 5 greatness. You need to see Top 2 greatness :)