To your question of getting a Rising Windmill without using Windmill I think is the correct idea and my understanding.
I agree and to respond to some of the earlier comments, I know DNC is much less button intensive than most other jobs and folks on controller have their own work ins but this was one of those things that broke flow occasionally for my play style and given that some other jobs got the "replace button skill X with Y when stuff happens" I figured that SE could make this part streamline, and it appears they did.
As for the Flourish changes (which again everything is subject to change), my understanding is that:
---Current---
Cascase > 50% chance to proc Florushing Cascade which allows Reverse Cascade etc.
My guess is that they will either make Cascade a:
"50% chance to Flourshing Cascade & Flourshing Windmill"
or more likely
They change to trigger two types of a effect, lets say a Flourish I & Flourish II.
So Cascade and Windmill can trigger Flourish I which unlocks a single combo use of Reverse Cascade or Rising Windmill.
Fountain and Bladeshower can trigger Flourish II which unlocks a single combo use of Fountainfall and Bloodshower respectevly
They could also depending on how best to optimize the system and UI do other things like change the text / requirements where the lvl2 steps (Reverse / Fountainfall etc) can be trigger be either but I think that makes the text/UI clunkier on tool tips but it is one less buff I guess? I am curious to see how they optimize.
Also curious to see the extension AOE from what we saw at the end of Improvisation. I am hoping its a more powerful triggered heal (akin to a Healing Waltz II-III or something) Improve always felt a little underwhelming to me in its use.
I still wish Saber Dance was off the GCD, but given its potency, I think that's asking too much.
Well see how potency overall changes across all the jobs. I hope Standard and Technical still hit like AOE trucks.