Bad93ex:
You should really give Tactics another try. Most people I know that picked up that game tried it right away, and got a little ways through it and absolutely hated it. So on the CD shelf it went, collecting dust. Later on, they would be looking for a game to play, and perhaps pick up Tactics to try it again because of lack of better things to play. After trying it the second time, they absolutely loved the game. It worked the same way for me, too. Once you get the feel for the battle system, it is a brilliant game, and very fun to play. Expect to put in about 80 hours if you want to explore the entire game.
As far as newer stuff, I have to admit, I did like FF9 to a point. It brought back the 4 party system, and also, the biggest thing, is brought back CHARACTER CLASSES, something that should never have disappeared in the first place. However, I stopped playing it. Why? Because of the damnable chocobo hunt. I decided I was going to try for some of the rare hard to get items in the game, and I put in far more time than I thought necessary to make any headway in the chocobo thing, relying soley on luck. Screw that, far too much effort, I just stopped playing. Maybe I will pick it up again for a 2nd run again someday, but I have to admit, it was a turn for the better.