Sums it up well.

I used to craft endlessly. I really enjoyed crafting. Months and months leveling, gathering, researching, theorycrafting and finally producing those 3 and 4 star items and feeling that sense of satisfaction. Being an endgame crafter took effort but it was worth it. You could make things not everyone had access to and you had value too, you could help friends and FC. Nowadays I barely touch crafting.

I personally feel things like that are important in MMO's. Those are the things new players see when starting out in the game and are impressed by. It motivates them and gives them goals and that vision of one day standing on that pinnacle and impressing others keeps them going throughout the journey. It's normal to want to achieve and accomplish things that are impressive. Accessibility simply takes that goal, hands it over without the work and removes the sense of accomplishment. You feel like "Wow, I made it!", then a sort of disappointment sinks in that it was so easy and you realize everyone else has the same. It loses the point.

The game is still going fine and is fun, but it does feel like the motivation has dampened. Most of the big crafters have retired, they get their full pentamelded 3 star set in 2 days and potter about every so often. Ishgard is seeing activity, but after the rankings most just dabble in it every so often, maybe pick up a skysteel relic once a week with delivery scrips. Same with battle relics. EX and Savage people dabble in it and clear but aren't that fussed if they do or don't and there are less SoS farm groups than usual.
Another thing is that no one is particularly useful. High end crafters aren't needed much, everyone's self sufficient. Mentors mostly answer very basic questions. It's very hard to be a valued player in a DF/PF raids, skill hardly matters in most cases and even when it does it's so hard to spot (this is a big one, especially for healers) and everyone is replaceable. The whole way combat is designed is so the good player doesn't stand out so the inexperienced one doesn't feel bad and is tricked into thinking they're great. We're just going through the motions a lot of the time.