Originally Posted by
Quanta
You're right in regards to new players, but if we're talking about existing players, it's likely that they're PLing classes that they don't ever intend to play and just want to have access to additional skills for their mains, so nothing is lost there, while much is gained.
They just turned crafted items into consumables, the intention being that you will either convert items into materia, or try and meld extra materia onto an item, which can fail and take all your hard work with it. Simplifying the recipes makes this whole song and dance easier, as failure no longer means having to collaborate with half a dozen different crafters and gatherers making all the individual parts (as opposed to simply asking them for base materials, like cloth or leather) just to make a new piece to try melding again. It's otherwise as "interactive" as its ever been.