lol now that's a legitimate reason to hate the game. Hard to like a game where you play as someone who reminds you of someone you hate.
I think the gameplay in FF8 is superior to FF7; the junction system was totally awesome imo and they really haven't done anything similar to it since. I would love to see a new game based in the FF8 universe. I'd like the same for FF9, but Crystal Chronicles has become its spiritual sequel, especially with its borrowed enemy design. Though FFXIII is 7's spiritual sequel, so who knows? I also think a game based around Jecht, Auron, and Yuna's parents would be ****ing AWESOME. A prequel 4,000 years before FFX (or however long it was).
I think after XV they should stop with the continuity of the main series for a while and work on evolving their established franchises. FFVI deserves some expansion beyond all others come to think of it.