Some things I do not like.

[SailorCeti]

I too, believe that everything should be changed to suit me and my tastes alone. If I do not enjoy it, it is unnecessary and SERIOUSLY NOT OKAY. Change it NOW!

There's no need to be snarky. I don't expect this (or that the devs will even see it). I only voiced my opinions.

[Lelila38]

I disagree. Simplification doesn't necessarily equate to "dumbing it down." That terms is also a little demeaning. I'm not dumb. I just have certain physical limitations. Another caveat here is that not everyone plays for a challenge. While some do find challenge fun, others don't.

Then there should be content and classes in the game to suit both.
As others have said, you don't have to play every class. Stick to one and focus on learning the basics. If you play casually there's no need for you to optimise and min-max.
Pick one that resonates with you and whose style you like. An important part for playing with physical limitations is setting up the UI in a way that suits you. In xiv every element can be adjusted in size and placement. Don't be afraid to experiment with different setups. I believe someone mentioned using a controller, do give it a try. The buttons might be easier to reach for you.
You mentioned most classes have too many skills. Mighf I suggest you try out dancer? I feel like there's not a lot of buttons to press there. Another class to maybe have a look at might be Red Mage. Both are very fun to play.

[Avoidy]

You lost me after using shift and ctrl. That's already too much. I do fine on my SMN. But even there, I feel there are superfluous abilities.

Maybe try a different role besides melee in that case. BLM is fairly complex but it's at least not a lot of actions per minute. MCH might mess with your arthritis during its burst (lots of button presses there), but on the off chance that it doesn't, the actual setup is extremely procedural with no randomness or fluff.
Failing that, consider other roles besides dps. Healing is basically just pressing one button a good chunk of the time. And some tanks like warrior are basically just 123 until you get enough resources from 123ing to use your resource spender.

[NekoMataMata]

I disagree. Simplification doesn't necessarily equate to "dumbing it down." That terms is also a little demeaning. I'm not dumb. I just have certain physical limitations. Another caveat here is that not everyone plays for a challenge. While some do find challenge fun, others don't.

The regular content in the game is already very easy and accessible. You don't have to hit all your combos to make it through regular duties, even if you're with trusts or inside solo duties.

Also the term was meant to be demeaning. You act dumb, you play dumb. You think arthritis is bad but I was born with a disease that makes me one of the most fragile people in the world physically. I play with a controller and even then, I usually end up having to take breaks every 30 minutes to an hour if I'm playing at higher intensities.

Even then, if the game somehow ever reached a point where I could not keep up, that wouldn't be my fault, nor the games. That would simply be how it is, and I would accept it because that's life. You should learn to reach some acceptance. There are things that everyone can't do, and the world does not change for them. It'd be unfair to.

[Deveryn]

I love this game more than any other MMO I've played. However, I feel somewhat limited in the jobs I can play. First, I'm an older player. Second, I have arthritis. Third, I've had two strokes.

The main issues for me (and I suspect I'm not alone), are the sheer amount of abilities some jobs have and that some jobs have unnecessarily complex mechanics in the higher levels. Most jobs have too many abilities that do similar things. Why not combine these into a single ability that's more effective overall? Don't get me started on SAM mechanics. I can't remember all the "combos." I gave up on that one. Have you seen the rotations for some of the jobs, when shown visually, people have to make flowcharts! Seriously, this is not okay. If most people can handle it, fine, but not everyone can.

Google and reddit will likely provide more constructive feedback than this place.

Do a search for "ffxiv arthritis" and you'll find some more helpful discussions like this one.

[Ransu]

OP, I'm sorry about your health issues, really I am. I have my own problems with my back and I'm half deaf and what not, but....I like the flow charts and the feeling of playing "piano" on my keyboard. The rotations and general gameplay have already been simplified to the extreme as it is and I don't want to see more designs like SMN or the healers 1 button attacks. Not every game is for everyone and not every class/job is for everyone.

[SailorCeti]

What about taking a very easy job such as red mage? Melee keeps you running most of the time so Id give up on that.

How many buttons total (not including any #This action cannot be assigned to the hotbar.# types)? Also, I'm a little hesitant to mix casting with melee. My reaction time, as you might image, is pretty bad. I like long range, so I can see more of the field and react a little better. Still die a lot, but that can't be helped.

[Raoabolic]

Maybe try a different role besides melee in that case. BLM is fairly complex but it's at least not a lot of actions per minute. MCH might mess with your arthritis during its burst (lots of button presses there), but on the off chance that it doesn't, the actual setup is extremely procedural with no randomness or fluff.
Failing that, consider other roles besides dps. Healing is basically just pressing one button a good chunk of the time. And some tanks like warrior are basically just 123 until you get enough resources from 123ing to use your resource spender.

As someone with really bad hand arthritis I can confirm that you can play fairly well with a controller with all classes. You won't be hitting top tier dps numbers but they way I figure, if you are not below 6 on the hate list as a dps then you are doing well enough for current non ex/savage content. Though double tapping the triggers do mess with my fingers but I just switch to my middle fingers to give my indexes a rest, lol. Also, shame on you for suggesting MCH to someone with that condition. A class with a bunch of ogcds really make the arthritis flare up, lol.

[Avoidy]

As someone with really bad hand arthritis I can confirm that you can play fairly well with a controller with all classes. You won't be hitting top tier dps numbers but they way I figure, if you are not below 6 on the hate list as a dps then you are doing well enough for current non ex/savage content. Though double tapping the triggers do mess with my fingers but I just switch to my middle fingers to give my indexes a rest, lol. Also, shame on you for suggesting MCH to someone with that condition. A class with a bunch of ogcds really make the arthritis flare up, lol.

Yeah I admitted that mch probably wouldn't be a good fit for that exact reason. But everyone's case is different (in the link someone posted above, about players with RA, there was one person saying they enjoyed DNC, and that's a job that makes MY hands hurt and I don't even have RA) and OP seemed to be after a job with not a lot of unnecessary fluff and a pretty intuitive setup. If his fingers can handle the burst (big if) then mch fits the bill. But it's unlikely, yeah.

[Raoabolic]

Yeah I admitted that mch probably wouldn't be a good fit for that exact reason. But everyone's case is different (in the link someone posted above, about players with RA, there was one person saying they enjoyed DNC, and that's a job that makes MY hands hurt and I don't even have RA) and OP seemed to be after a job with not a lot of unnecessary fluff and a pretty intuitive setup. If his fingers can handle the burst (big if) then mch fits the bill. But it's unlikely, yeah.

Tbh, I would think the bigger issue is that mch hits like a wet noodle compared to other classes. The person in question is more or less asking what class has the least amount of ogcds. I would say war for tank, brd for ranged, sam for melee, and whm for healer.*

*not a 100% accurate list