I just hope DQIX maintains that magic that makes the Dragon Quest games such a joy to play. DQVIII worked so well because it kept the same Japanese RPG formula of random enemy encounters and solid turn-based combat, as well as the amusing anime-styled visuals, whimsical character designs, and light-hearted humor. I've already heard that DQIX is straying to the "see all enemies on the map and fight then in real time" gameplay, which was basically the final nail in the coffin as far as my interest in the Final Fantasy series (see FFXII). Since the same company now owns both series, I think they should keep the "experimentation" exclusive to FF, and let the DQ series retain the classic Japanese RPG gameplay.