FFTA is no where near the original in quality. What Square did was strip FFT of any plot, remove job points, add FFIX system of spell/ability learning, made earning money a bitch, turned the game into an annoying mission based RPG, killed the soundtrack, and added the ever so annoying and oh so unnecessary judge system. Seriously... I played the game for 20 hours straight. Hate the characters, couldn't earn any money, had yet to see any sign of a story, and felt like ripping my ears off. The soundtrack is so bad it makes Harmony of Dissonace sound good. Its defenetly not more of the same. Its basically scraps released on the strength of the FF franchise, and the hardcore fanbase of FFTA.
And don't even get me started on the equipment system. I like RPGs... but the last thing I want is to browse through a long list of items for 30 minutes and still not be able to buy the right stuff.
And by strategy games.... you mean strategy RPGs? Its certainly not better then Tactics Ogre, or Fire Emblem, or Advance Wars, or Disgaea.
I liked the judge thing. It forces you to think out your battles a little more. Afterall the word "tactics" is in the title.