Are the battles the same as final fantasy.

No the battles are not the same as final fantasy. They are better. The ones in Grandia require more strategy.

In Grandia the people move, and can evade attacks at the cost of their own. Also, the spells will have a greater effect according to the enemy position. It's like a sports event

A sports event?! Well, the battle system is better anyway, ESPECIALLY because they aren't random.

so aczactly how do you battle because i want to get this game.And how much does this game cost and where do you find it.

I like to think of it as a event.
"Ryudo, here's the game plan: go to the right of Zera, then cut behind"
"Elena, stay back a make sure everyones fine"
"Mareg, Beast King Smash him to death"
"Roan, stay alive!"

Well I have seen the game for £15 once first hand!!!
But apart from that its £30!

I like your tactics for Roan, Yu. As for the battle system:

You can see the enemies on the screen, and will be transported to a special battle screen if you touch them. At the bottom of the screen there is an IP bar, which monitors your party's and the enemy's readiness to attack. Once a character travels about three quarter's of the way down the bar, you will have the oppurtunity to select how he or she will act. The character will travel the rest of the way down the bar, then the move will be executed. Some moves take longer than others. For example, the 'combo', or regular attack, will be performed instantly. Others, such as "the industrial-scale barbeque that is Hellburner" (ODM - ahhhh) will take longer. Obviously, this can allow for counters, and numerous other twists. So there. Go forth and buy the game.

Ya wouldn't it be great if there was an online multi-player mode where you could take your chars online and test your strategic skill in battle against one another.

That would be utter chaos!

Right, the battles in Grandia really do resemble the close-quarter brawls that you'd imagine these battles to be (the random encounters in Legend of Legaia also capture this feeling). They've got a cool synergy that makes them so refreshing compared to the static, battle-lines-drawn fights of Final Fantasy and many other console RPGs.

It looks like a lot of strategy when you first play, but the best thing of the Grandia battle system is that it's all under your control once you get into the swing of things. Valkyrie Profile is the only other console RPG I can think of right now that makes turn-based battle systems so refreshingly fun and unique!

I love the battles and look forwards to going into one, unlike FF!

In the shops, i saw it for £40. That's expensive for a DC as they are now coming out for £30. I got my copy second hand for £20. Thats half price. It shows what you can get if you look carefully!