simple way to reduce button bloat without changing gameplay

[TheDustyOne]

Black Mage could also consolidate Fire IV and Blizzard IV into one button based on your Astral/Umbral status, same thing with Flare and Freeze. Alongside the aforementioned Leylines/Between the Lines merge that saves 3 buttons without removing any skills.

While I would also prefer to merge abilities that have the same function but are merely just single target/AoE variations, I still think there's some value in having AoE rotations themselves be separate and simplified versions of the single target rotations. A quick example off the top of my head would be Warriors AoE combo being both a generous beast gauge generator and their buff refresh rather than having 2 combo enders in their AoE rotation. Considering that it's primarily casual content that makes most use of AoE abilities, I think it's fine for those rotations to be much easier. I think it's only abilities that serve the purpose of being the 'AoE' version of another ability that should be merged (Upheaval and Orogeny, Foul and Xenoglossy, Senei and Guren, etc.), while AoE abilities that merge a jobs mechanics together should be left alone (Most AoE combo enders fit here really, typically applying a buff and generating a fair amount of resources at the same time).

Monk is the only job I can think of where combo consolidation wouldn't work without a serious rework to Perfect Balance and Form Shift. I would've said Samurai as well back in Shadowbringers, but since the buffs from within their combos now also apply with their combo enders under Meikyo Shisui, combo consolidation there wouldn't be an issue; 3 buttons to represent the Gekko, Kasha, and Yukikaze combos and Meikyo would change those 3 buttons to their enders.