In general, this Dev team favors balance over creativity. It's easier for them to balance by near-mirroing skills. Look at MCH and Bard. And they really did it with WHM and AST. Cure 1/2. Regen. AOE1/2. OGCD instant (Essential Dignity/Tetra). The are some flavor differences, and a few small thing that differentiate them. But from a high level they are remarkably similar. Can't really blame the payer base for pigeon-holing them a bit.

And the dude yelling at you for not using Noct in Cape Westwind was just a bonehead. That's not an example of community-mind.