Quote Originally Posted by Anahlise_Auhn_Giinslai View Post
(controversial hot-take warning) "Button Bloat" is a myth and it is not real, while the real problem is just bad job action design... The answer to solve the "button bloat" problem, is to solve the actual problem that causes it, and the answer to solve that issue is right there at the top in my signature...

Create in-"job" diversity, and cull the one-way only rigidity.

Take Blue Mage and its 104 actions... Why are 104 actions never complained about as "Button Bloat"? Because a mockery of in-class diversity exists for that "job". there are 104 actions, but the player only ever uses their choice of any 24 of them, so no there is no "Button Bloat", just the illusion of options.

The other 19 "jobs" in FFXIV need to be similar to this... If we count all deleted action ever removed from the game, the other "jobs" only have 30-60 actions, but if they had a mockery of in-class diversity like Blue Mage...Say.. a Limit of any where from 28-36 actions, then just pick 28 actions and do not attempt to use all 30 to 60 actions...
Still want to complain about "Button Bloat", any way? No person every said that any person is forced to use up to the limit. 28 actions too much for you? You only want 24? then pick 24 actions and only use 24 actions.

I doubt that FFXIV will ever see in-"job" diversity, but I believe that it would dispel the "Button Bloat" myth, if it was made a thing... There is no real limit, only the limitation that a person puts on to their self. button bloat is a self-made limitation, not a real limit.

Also, my apologies.. for this goes off of the thread's topic, I realize.
This sort of design ends up not working. Everything gets culled down to a optimized META setup and you will be kicked every single time someone sees you running one non-optimal skill. This also makes balance turn into World of Warcraft balance because they have a simpler version of what you are saying and they have inordinate amounts of problems stemming from it so much it is killing their game. You legit have classes that, for upwards of 7 years now, are unplayable in endgame content PvE and PvP.
Button Bloat is a legit issue but it isn't coming from where you think it is. It is coming from having redundant skills. An example is Red Mages melee combo. It has 3 buttons. These 3 buttons are never used in any circumstance, for any reason, except for going 1-2-3 while enchanted to start their finishers. There is no reason this should be more than a single button that changes as it goes through the combo. VerFire and VerStone, these buttons should overlap VerThunder and VerAero when Dualcast isnt up. So far we have saved 4 buttons. A lot of melee and some tanks have this issue too. Also, take into account controller players do have limited space for keys.

What they should do is cull redundant buttons into changing packs of buttons then add more unique and flavorful skills with those extra buttons.