to be frank i wish they make cure 1 into cure 2, and remove the freecure trait. I heard horror stories from my fc mates about people in level 50-80 content cure 1 spamming to proc free cure.
Im also of the opinion that more is not better, nor less= dumb-down. playing your job/role shouldn't be the difficulty or challenge, the content you play in should be where the challenge is. The dark souls games were/are considered pretty hardcore. Incidentally, the combat system is ultra basic, the boss fights, and game zones are where the challenge lies.