I'm happy to accept the change because I don't want the exact same experience, I want something that feels fresh - something that's as memorable as the original.
I'm totally on board with this, but I think it's important to think about what it actually means to be a remake.
At one end of the spectrum, there's releasing the game with absolutely no changes -- i.e., a non-upgraded port. On the other, there's just putting out a completely different game, with entirely new story and gameplay -- i.e. not a remake at all. Both of those pretty much fail the test for what we're looking for here.
Instead, what people want is something that preserves the elements that are
core to the experience of what FF7 is, while upgrading or changing or reimagining other parts to make it a new experience. We saw this in, for example, FF4 remake, which kept the storyline intact but dramatically changed the visual style and made significant changes to the battle system (while keeping it as an ATB variant.)
So what's core to FF7? Well, obviously I'm not able to speak to the exact requirements of everyone, but if you polled the fanbase, you'd probably see everything on this list show up pretty high:
- The story of Sephiroth/Cloud/Aeris
- The ultra-memorable soundtrack
- The huge, sprawling feeling of Midgar
- Immense, ultra-flashy summons and spell effects
- A cast of memorable and popular characters and the ability to play as and control them in the game
- The materia system and how it allows you to customize everyone in your party in a huge number of ways and create cool and overpowered combos of abilities
- Secret ultra-hard bosses like the Weapons
- Elaborate and deep sidequests like chocobo breeding
By default, I think you'd find people saying that changing stuff that's not important or "core" to the experience is very much expected, but a game that fails to deliver the core elements of the original has failed in its purpose as a remake. The exact battle system in the original game, with all its quirks, exact powers, and particular speed, is not one of these core elements -- but the materia-based customization, the system of drawing on a bunch of different abilities (rather than just having two or three bound to face buttons), and the ability to play as Tifa or Red XIII (rather than just slashing with Cloud) definitely are.
So: I would personally be very disappointed if the battle system was identical (since I
can just play the original, which is still a great game today.) I wouldn't mind on-map encounters (random encounters aren't archaic and are a very good mechanic in some games, but on-screen is a better fit for the kind of game FF7 wants to be.) It would be very cool to see the battle system incorporate some of the hybrid elements of other recent systems (X-2, XII, and XIII have three different attempts at real-time battle systems that are still command-based and any of those directions would be interesting to explore even farther.) I think it would pretty much miss the point entirely to put out a game that eliminates the materia system and locks you into running around playing KH-style combat as Cloud while relegating your party members to mostly-unseen CPU assistants.