I don't think Steps was nerfed because of new players not wanting to learn.
I think it was nerfed because of veteran players instantly abandoning it when it popped up in Trial Roulette making it difficult for new players to progress.
A bit of difficulty is fine so long as the community is willing to tolerate a few wipes and work through it.
Sadly many players don't have the patience. Just yesterday in Trial roulette I had a tank instantly bail from The Chrysalis as soon as they loaded in before we even made any attempts.