I agree that Cait Sith was terrible, that the translation needs improvement, that the graphics need an update (as much as full console graphics with the luminous engine would be amazing, all it really needs is a consistent art style that is either all chibi [ff9] or all normal [ff8/10] with resolution high enough to be acceptable on modern monitors), and that the game play of the original game had very appealing aspects but is also in need of some tweaks and/or polish. That being said turn based combat is something I enjoy, but it's not a draw for me.
I usually go into rpgs and jrpgs especially for the story, (something 13 dropped the ball on IMO), and turn based combat is just something that is sufficient for me to get from one point in the story to the next. I like the strategy and all of that, and finding out which enemies are weak to what and what strategies will kill them off most efficiently was/is still somewhat fun for me. But I have to admit that it gets a little stale for me when it feels like I always kill off all the enemies in similar manners. Once I figure an enemy out I lose all the enjoyment from ever fighting them. And in a jrpg, I probably will have to fight that same enemy many more times than I am interested in.
Don't get me wrong, I still love jrpgs and would gladly have all of them be turn based ATB over some styles of gameplay (FF12, WKC), but I can't help but want a fusion of action and strategy that has never been fully realized. There are action rpgs out there (Kingdom Hearts, Dragon's Dogma, The Witcher, KoA:R) but none of them have struck the right balance for me. They did, however, peak my interest.
Ever since playing the original kingdom hearts on hard against Sephiroth and beating his (for me at the time) incredibly hard battle, I couldn't help but imagine my favorite game (FF7) and the epic fights that could unfold from forming groups of three (like Sora, Donald, and Goofy) with the likes of Cloud, Vincent, and Cid/Barrett. This idea was only further teased by recent (is 2011 recent?) footage of FFVSXIII showing off a FF/KH-type battle system that actually didn't look half bad, and the thought of a game improving on that style of gameplay made my old fantasies run wild again. The ability to switch between characters on the fly to even a TPS character (Barrett/Vincent?) didn't help my wild dreams die either.
I still voted for turn based, just because that perfect balance between action and strategy that could make encounters fun, unique, and thought-provoking (not just button mashing) probably will never happen. I'd rather have a very polished turn based system for my favorite game's makeover than an experimental ARPG formula. But I can't help fantasizing about the thought of Cloud vs. Sephiroth in an epic real time battle that captures the urgency, the power, and the awe that my imagination instilled in me from experiencing the game back on the PS1.