Please unify the right.

[ForteNightshade]

It's been this way for almost 10 years. Why is it suddenly a big issue this tier?

This has been an issue since Heavensward. People are making a bigger deal due to the job shortage in PF (Range in Asphodelos; Healers in Abyssos) and because there are nineteen jobs now. In general, people are just fed up of a system which progresses at a glacier's pace and makes the whole alt swapping concept this game loves to advertise less engaging.

With all that said, the OP's idea goes too far in the opposite direction. Essentially removing accessories entirely makes the first fight worthless. There simply wouldn't be enough of a gear spread to cover four fights. Not to mention, this would actually cause a direct nerf to tanks and healers as your Earring example always gives them their "role specific" state: i.e., Tenacity and Piety. Two substats neither role wants. Furthermore, SE is unlikely to make this big of a change to the gearing structure. We have to think smaller scale to get them to even consider a change. A good start is adding gear to Criterion (EX or Savage versions) and unlocking the Savage tier earlier. Getting the tome cap to increase is probably the biggest hurtle.

Devil's advocate. Maybe it is cheaper than it ever has been. But the economy is so screwed and so saturated right now that making money is widely considered harder than it ever has been.. especially with so many crofters and market board bots and stuff going on so relatively speaking it's probably more expensive than it ever has been.

That or it requires a massive amount of hours of grind.

Even putting aside how all the crafting changes from late Stormblood into Shadowbringers has ruined crafting on the whole. Pentamelding isn't "prohibitively expensive" unless you do almost nothing. This game barfs materia at you left and right. Dedicate some time to hunt trains and you'll cover everything you need for a whole set without spending a cent. If you're still struggling with gil, slap some VII and VIIIs in there. They're usually 500-600 gil a pop. You'll be perfectly fine blowing those up.