Raiders, why do you consider raiding just not memory games ?

[ovIm]

No, it's not. Memorization is only part of it. There's also adaptation, thinking, planning, etc

Activities that boil down to remembering the same thing exactly without requiring any improvisation or actual thinking is ultimately boring.

And that's the problem with ffxiv. They dont know how to design systems (classes, encounters, etc) that aren't "follow a rigid plan with a handful of randomized elements here and there".

In that regard, FFXIV has gone the McDonaldization route (cool write up about that here) - by reducing raiding to essentially clicking the right button at the right time it eliminates a lot of the friction raiding can produce. But at the same time, it also eliminates some excitement.
Its part of the reason why I find PVP so much more exciting than raiding nowadays. It tests me as a player engaging with the games systems, not me as a player memorizing a longer pattern.