Quote Originally Posted by ForteNightshade View Post
You neglected a third option where some jobs that are already squeezed even with combo consolidation are inevitably forced into a system they don't want because new buttons are continuously added and now there isn't a reason to prune away any. You're also assuming people are simply unaware combos aren't unique per se and just don't realize they can condensed. Most are. They simply don't like the idea.
I'm making no such assumption. I have simply noted that the evidence thus far points to any consolidated spaces not being filled by new skills or other reasons for consolidation ignored on the mere basis that some players already reduced their button counts.

It is for PvP. If the transition were simple enough to move over, I suspect they would have done so already.
If it's something that the devs want to do regardless, and somehow instead a combo of IDs X, Y, and Z cannot behave like those of A, B, and C (despite PvP skills separating from PvE skills only when PvP was equalized across level brackets), then how can one make the claim that consolidation would be "un-XIV-like"?

As for caring? Well, all the people who dislike combo consolidation. I'll throw that back at you. Who cares if you find 123 pointless? At the end of the day, we're essentially arguing preference.
No, we're arguing options. If your preference can exist only by removing any possibility of others meeting their own preferences --i.e., your preference must forever trump all others-- then we're arguing the space for options. I'm arguing to have relevant options, while thus far you've argued that any such option be barred.

Your preference is met and could still be met with options. Others' are not and cannot be met without such an option. The trick here is that you then add that your choice might, if things go in precisely your hypothesized direction (Yoshida suddenly decides to no longer renovate existing job abilities with further expansions and that jobs should have more --button-consuming-- depth) might devalue your choice and thus others should have literally zero choice.

That's not just an argument for the superiority of your preference, but that it should be the only one supported or available to players.