http://kotaku.com/5973196/why-everybody-loves-final-fantasy-tactics
The Calculator gets some love :D
Whereas every reconstructive engineer in this site wishes to do away with them. Entirely.
Calculators aren't entirely unsalvageable, see FFT: KO. They just need their skillset cut down. A lot.
Well, if you want me to break them, I can.
I'd had the idea just now to 'fuse' them with Olan's Astrologer: That is, rather than using numbers, like elevation, level, CT, ect....
Effects and such based on a unit's Zodiac. Would be interesting, though it's unlikely, since that would only make their usefulness situational.
For zodiacs if you can call specifics, make it into good/bad/best/worst/neutral combatability, and then use that as a guideline if possible. I am sure it would require ASM but that way it keeps their use without being one time map wipe most of the time.
Very interesting, but I lack the skill and time to learn how to do this. Still, it's up in the air as is, and if I ever gain the time I will try to do so myself. But for now, it remains only an idea.