This game is not new. The math has been done. Gear-swapping is factored in to the challenge aspect of the game; the difficulty of certain parts of the game assume you to be swapping to certain gear for the situation.

You can refuse to play that way all you want, but really, you're not the only one playing, unless you solo 100% of the time. In a group situation, you are bringing the entire group down. You cannot make any claim to be "working as hard as I can" if you refuse to use even the simplest tools SE provides you with macros. These are not some third-party cheat or hack, these are tool built into the infrastructure of FFXI itself. It's like saying "I refuse to use the Auction House! I only buy gear from NPC shops!"