That it's not trying to be a third person action game.

Yeah, I know.

The love stories, they really get me going.

But seriously, it's usually the exploration and music.

Let me kick Beatrix in the ass first and then I'll add him too.

For me, i can hardly describe it xD few games give me such excitement as Final Fantasy. The music warms my heart, the characters feel like people i know, the world feels like home ( not literally ), i love the themes! The Cids, the moogles, the chocobos etc i could go on and on.

No?

Summons,Summons and more Summons.

I'm not the world's BIGGEST FF fan, but I have a decent amount of experience. Actually only played 6, 7, 13, and 13-2 in the main series, FF Tactics on PS1, and FF Tactics Advance 2 on DS Lite. I like different things about all of them, and have clear favorites. I voted all of the above, but gameplay and characters are most important.

Final fantasy was always the leader of the jrpg's, it's not that every part was perfect, but final fantasy is final fantasy. Ffvi and ffvii are still today the some of the best games that can be played. What i liked always were the "super espers" like knights of the round:)

I enjoy everything about a good FF game, but the gameplay and chaarcters are obviously the most important.

All of the mentioned.
Design in general, more than anything. The world, enemies, context(lore), all of it.
Story, gameplay and characters come secondary to that.
Everything else, like the soundtrack, becomes the cherry on top.