The difficulty in ffxiv is derived from trying to execute your jobs abilities at the same time as performing mechanics. When jobs become more complex, fights need to be toned down mechanically to match the same level of difficulty. I believe jobs were/are getting simplified because it is easier to create bosses with unique mechanics that challenge the player, rather than creating a complex job that feels fun to play. Making job changes is much more difficult due to balance than altering boss mechanics. The idea is to derive more fun from mechanics than the job itself. This makes sense since doing the same rotation over and over tends to get boring to most as it is very repetitive. I understand the frustration though, since most content in ffxiv is considered pretty easy, especially to someone experienced in their job, the game can feel boring when not doing difficult content.

I don't really know of a good solution to this problem. I like being able to pickup and play whatever class I feel like without having to do hours of research or have years of muscle memory in order to play. At the same time I feel the game can be too easy, especially when running old/casual content. This is a constant balancing act the design team has to overcome. I feel as though the game year after year, in general, get better. I don't like every change but most are for the better in my eyes. At this point I'm not freaking out as I trust SE to keep the upward trend.