"Second, fixed encounters are a much more practical way to explore a large roster of enemies. Does this claim make sense?" I really agree with everything in this paragraph (and immediately thought of FF13, which for all the jokes about corridors, is very much this concept). I do agree that you need more familiarity in a random encounter dungeon where you ideally are meeting the enemy in many different states.
I tried twice and could not get very far but I can see myself coming back to chew on this one more, it's very neat!