Tactics is nothing like the rest of the series, but it's a really good SRPG. My personal favorite game of all time.
VI is a pretty standard JRPG. VII feels dated to me but is a perfectly fine game. VIII has some weird stuff and typically is love it or hate it. IX has lots of throwbacks to previous FF games, and is a good title aside from annoyingly slow combat.
I'd suggest playing VII and Tactics. FFX is also a really good choice.
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No amount of planning will ever replace dumb luck.