One of the Internet's favourite hobbies is complaining about the senility of the JRPG genre. The behemoth genre is in fact staggering, and it might not be long before its chest touches the ground. I think the wolves are feeding a bit early, though: JRPGs are a huge market, and it takes a long time for a disease to run its course through a big animal. Besides, there's very little wrong with JRPGs that can't be chased off with a few shots. The rambling stories can be re-written with a more consideration for subtlety, the characters can be given goals beyond being spokesgirls for moe, and random encounters don't have to, y'know, exist.
Where no such improvements are possible for whatever reason (laziness, fear of change, a deal with the Devil that ended with the developer being forced to play cruel jokes on players), I would settle for just one tweak. It's not hard to implement, and it's not too scary, but it could help save the genre.
Please, please, please, JRPG developers—all RPG developers—if you're going to make me suffer through random battles, at least guarantee that I will be able to run from them.
Dragon Quest games are justifiably held up as an example of how to do JRPGs right, but even Japan's most influential game series is guilty of holding down my party while monsters chew on their ankles. I don't bother trying to run away from enemies in the Dragon Quest remakes. It's not worth the heartbreak of inevitable failure.
Watership Down author Richard Adams developed a term, “tharn,” to describe animals frozen in harm's path by fear or shock. Good examples include a deer held by the headlights of an oncoming truck, or a basic JRPG party that's locked in by the wobbly eyes of a Slime. The player gives the order to run, but your strapping young warriors are helpless to do so.
It's like being in one of those nightmares where you can't seem to run away from the demon that's chasing you, but the difference is a dream usually lets you wake up before you're nailed with Kasap and have the flesh peeled off your bones fifty hit points at a time.
Please, JRPGs. I'm an adult. I know that if I run from every random battle, I'll pay for it in blood when I attempt a boss battle and hit a brick wall. I learned that lesson through a retro RPG that was very fair about letting me run from battle: Final Fantasy IV. I was perpetually poor (characters often drop gold when fleeing) and the moon literally swallowed my ass. But when I matured as a gamer and learned when to fight and when to take flight, I appreciated having the option.
It's a small thing, JRPGs, but it might save your life. Please consider it. I don't want to lose you forever. You do your part, and I'll start brushing my teeth after I eat pickled herring.
Related Links:
Roundtable Discussion: The Relevance of Japanese RPGs
Star Ocean and the HD-JRPG Conundrum
Whatcha Not Playing: Persona 4