Anybody out there who loves random battles?  
I started to think about most RPG makers including that shit into almoct every game since 80`s. So... when it`s done like in Wild Arms 2 where you could cancel the battle before it starts when the monster is weaker than you it`s ok, but many other games still go with "come on battle this guys jumping towards you from another dimension every x steps". Maybe someone just likes it that much that it can be used as excuse for putting random battle crap into the games? Any of you?  

scary.

I kind of like random battles in some games, but I still really appreciate when the monster is visible on the battlefield.  Usually if monsters are visible, such as in Grandia II... I will obsessively slaughter them all, and, as a result, probably "grind" more than if random battles were in place.  It's interesting to look at games that have been remade where before there were random battles and after monsters were added to the battle field--the best example being Lunar.  The feel is completely different.

I only like random battles in game where the combat is really fun. However Bioware games and FFXII have spoiled me with their gameplay so replaying games with random battles can feel like a chore.

Depends on the game really, and the spacing of the random encounters. Some games I've played you get them every couple of damn steps, and it gets very tiresome VERY fast. And of course, as said, the battle system itself plays a major part on how long I can stand it.
 
Chrono Trigger had an interesting system and one I'd like to see used again some time... sort of a visible/random hybrid.
 
I think of late a lot of RPG series have been driving away from the random encounter system anyway. Final Fantasy, Persona, Atelier Iris, Valkyrie Profile, etc.

For me it all depends on the frequency of the random battles and how much variation there is to them.  If you are getting in a fight every couple of steps its annoying, and if they are very static it gets old quick.  But then again I came up on the original DW and FF games as my intro to the genre so I am probally more tolerant than most.

Never played Legend of Legaia...
 
But I definitely agree about Breath of Fire 3.  I don't think I finished it because I just got so pissed off at how many battles there were.  I really liked it otherwise too.
 
One thing that also gets me about random battles is how the enemies will be like... in exactly the same formation, combination, same levels, etc.  In other words, as a result, you can keep repeating a very mindless order of attacks to complete the battle.  There needs to be more variation with that stuff if random battles stay. Know what I mean?

I'd have no idea.  I think the problem is fixed by implementing different systems that break up the traditional turn based game play.  Like, you will get the same enemies over and over again in a tales game, but it's not painful because you can execute different things and move around--it's only painful because tales games always have ridiculous encounter rates.  (I don't know how I had the patience to beat Tales of Eternia.)
 
So... basically, I think a lot of games actually are doing a good job to reinvent turn based play... or evolve away from it in a way that keeps players used to it comfortable...
 
I still love old school games, but  I just wince every time I consider replaying the original Lunar games because it's just the same battle and the same commands over and over again.  (Still, I'll probably play them over again at least twice in the remainder of my life as long as either my Playstation or Sega Cd versions hold up.)