Job action combos one button

[Shurrikhan]

as for what I want from bloat removal from current state, I just want them to stack the skills that only increases potency with each combo.

That seems an odd limit to set. It'd account for almost nothing. Technically, it'd only even amount to Aeolian Edge, as Full Thrust (+2) ultimately procs Draconian Fire, Storm's Path generates gauge, Royal Authority procs Sword Oath (the Atonement casts from which can be split off), etc.

And that will be the day I quit playing this game.

And, in turn, "more [not solely, just more] of a given expansion's added capacities and functions to be granted via passives (specifically not merely potency-increasing traits, as mentioned on prior pages)," as opposed to being given through ability pruning and recycling, is where you draw the line?

There is no version where you get more buttons of actions and retain a given button count cap (as the devs themselves have said constrains them) without pruning or consolidating. Given that, Hagare is right that consolidation may be necessary if we are to avoid losing further key abilities and further squelching the leveling experience. One might even, quite reasonably, say that being anti-consolidation without expecting further actions or specifically contesting the devs in regard to button count caps will generally be, in effect, pro-pruning.

[ForteNightshade]

what I'm expecting will happen.
more passives.
more changing skills like egress + regress, reaping etc etc.
either way, consolidation WILL happen after a time. If not out of convenience, out of necessity. Or the cooler term, streamlining.
Hell, story characters like Thancred and Hien already has it when we play them.

And both are some of the most horrendously boring gameplay experiences in the entire game. Personally, I've long found the whole "playing as the scions" novelty having long worn off and dread every time we suddenly switch to them. Granted, this is purely from a gameplay perspective. Storywise, I genuinely like several of those segments.

Nevertheless, we won't necessarily ever get to that point even with combo consolidation because of oGCDs unlike the very limited action suite Thancred and the like have. If we did, I'd likely not be playing.

It doesn't have to happen ever though. Look at jobs like Dragoon, which have simply upgraded long old animations ala Full Thrust and Chaos Thrust. Not to mention, several jobs have far too many throwaway abilities that still haven't been pruned away. It all depends on the direction they go and how many new abilities are actually added. Endwalker didn't really add much of anything for a good number of jobs. Although, ironically, it bloated others. Suffice it to say, they've been rather... inconsistent.

There is no version where you get more buttons of actions and retain a given button count cap (as the devs themselves have said constrains them) without pruning or consolidating. Given that, Hagare is right that consolidation may be necessary if we are to avoid losing further key abilities and further squelching the leveling experience. One might even, quite reasonably, say that being anti-consolidation without expecting further actions or specifically contesting the devs in regard to button count caps will generally be, in effect, pro-pruning.

To be fair, the leveling experience being so abysmal has more to do with them refusing to readjust when jobs learn their abilities. Bard, for example, wouldn't even benefit from any consolidation as it (like all the prange) have a barren hotbar suite. And yet, the leveling experience borders on healer levels gameplay with the sheer amount of Straight Shot spam you do. Bard doesn't even get it's main song until 52. Frankly, I'd been fine doing without new abilities entirely if it meant cleaning up the existing jobs come 7.0. Or at the very least, simply sticking to animation upgrades like the aforementioned Dragoon example.

how have you not quit?
We've already lost skills.
just in 6.0:
PLD Enhanced Requiescat
AST lost sects and sleeve draw
BLM lost enochian and sleep
SCH Bio, Summon, Miasma, Egi Assault, Summon II, Bio II, Bane, Summon III, Egi Assault II, Enkindle, Tri-disaster, Aetherpact, Devotion, Bio III, Miasma III, and Firebird Trance
DRG dragon blood
SAM Merciful Eyes and Hissatsu: Seigan
WHM Fluid aura
SCH Sic
MNK Fists of Earth, Fists of Wind, Shoulder Tackle, and Fists of Fire

Almost none of these are good examples though. Blood of the Dragoon and Enochian were essentially nonexistent for decent Dragoons and Black Mages. They only impacted inexperienced players who weren't yet accustom to the job. Likewise, you even cares about Sleep, Sic or Fluid Aura? All were completely worthless. Seigan was little more than a meme.

Really, the only major examples here and Monk and Summoner. However, they didn't so much as lose abilities wholly redesigned from the ground up. It really isn't a fair comparison. You'd have been better off mentioning DoTs or Bard's loss of Foe's Requiem. Stuff like that actually impacted these respective jobs. What you listed largely did not.

[hagare]

And both are some of the most horrendously boring gameplay experiences in the entire game. Personally, I've long found the whole "playing as the scions" novelty having long worn off and dread every time we suddenly switch to them. Granted, this is purely from a gameplay perspective. Storywise, I genuinely like several of those segments.

do remember that they don't even get the full set of skill their class. Only the necessary ones to clear the fight.

and an extra stealth one for Thancred xD