Does FF14 have a button bloat problem?

[Allegor]

...What build are you playing (and just how many core skills are you still leaving out) to manage that? I'm sitting on 25 buttons on my Shaman without any redundancies...

Elemental, probably. As far as I recall, it's just apply and keep up flame shock, and then spam lightningbolt until you proc lava burst or your 'gauge' fills up enough so you can use earth shock....that's basically it, not counting cooldowns like bloodlust, summon elemental, or stormcaller [sounds a lot like our healers over here, doesn't it?] Having played XIV long enough, when I went back to WoW for a bit during BfA, it felt so....empty, even DNC had more stuff to press.

Anyways, I do agree BLM is....interesting. It goes with what I said in another comment that rather than restructuring and rearranging some jobs actions, they just add stuff on top as if to "fix" the clunkiness. Blizz II for example, will be useless for 70 whole levels before it upgrades to High Blizz II

[Shurrikhan]

Elemental, probably.

Even Elemental should be running 20+, unless you refuse to do anything but tank-and-spank encounters. Shaman utility is pretty damn vital.

Anyways, I do agree BLM is....interesting. It goes with what I said in another comment that rather than restructuring and rearranging some jobs actions, they just add stuff on top as if to "fix" the clunkiness. Blizz II for example, will be useless for 70 whole levels before it upgrades to High Blizz II

It feels like the last time B2 was particularly relevant was the Quick Flare rotation in AoE (when you could queue a second cast to be affected by elemental bonus, such as UI's MP and casttime reduction upon Fire casts). At that time, B3 was the only way to instantly reach UI3, but it was a 1.4-GCD cast. B2's sub-GCD cast allowed for slidecasting, was a 100 potency AoE (roughly equal in ppgcd to Freeze's 150 at a 1.4-GCD cast), and, most importantly, got you to a second UI stack all the sooner, getting a further 2 stack's (much more likely hitting 2, up from 1 on first tick and 3 on the second tick, up from 2, though such ultimately depended on your sync with the global MP tick) benefit over your time stuck in UI.

That said, rather than retaining decent Ice ppgcds sufficient to use more than just B3 or Freeze (especially after its gaining UI3) or our nuance in leveraging mana regeneration or working around mana margins, polishing those earlier mechanical nexuses, etc... they just chopped the mechanic out at 74. Pretty disappointing, imo.

Blizzard 2 has no use once Freeze is learned, same with Fire 2 and Flare.

Except Blizzard II is regaining use under High Blizzard II in Endwalker. So at best that saves you your single button for Fire II by turning Flare into a very awkward trait for it. I'd much rather just consolidate Blizzard IV and Fire IV, which are mutually exclusive...