In Minecraft 1.8 the Nether isn't scary anymore. You can leisurely wander around without worrying about Ghasts.

In 1.7, the Nether was terrifying and I was under almost constant bombardment. I was always building stone shelters to block fireballs, traveling by digging tunnels underground, and running as fast as I could when out in the open.

In 1.8, I have spent hours and hours in the Nether. I have played on two different created worlds and located two Nether Fortresses. in all this time, the Ghasts have only shot at me on two occasions.

I want the old Ghasts back so the Nether is challenging again.