There was no weaponskill ability bloat for the most part the bloat was elsewhere

[Malthir]

Let me cook on this one.
Changing the weaponskills so it's all press 1 is not an issue. However other than Dragoon, weaponskills and attack abilities where not bloated, it's the OGCD buffs.

For example as a tank you have about 8 different damage mitigation OGCD's you press the button and a glowy effect happens. So, as a Melee class, I have a repeative 1,2,3, (now 1,1,1) attack combo, but 8 different buttons to take less damage. This is not engaging. The feedback from pressing a button is not an character interaction e.g swing sword, but a particle effect firing. The OGCD's that attack or have your character actually do something are on 30s cooldowns, it's boring.

Look at PVP, it has the 1,1,1 weaponskill and about 3 other abilities, but every ability involves you're character actually doing something. All the pointless mitigation buttons and damage buffs and debuffs are baked into weaponskills and ability presses on lower cooldowns.

I know they can't just lower cooldowns on the OGCD attack abilities without lowering Damage to ensure dps is not effect. But honestly, lower the damn damage, I don't think most people would care if the floaty number is lower if they were getting to press more buttons and see cool attacks going off.
It's the same with the class mechanic, I shouldn't only be interacting with it once every 2m or so, lower the damage output and reduce cooldowns increase meter gain, characters should do more not less the 2m meta needs to die.

I've finished cooking and am fully prepared to get flamed.

[CaptainLagbeard]

The thing is though, if they were smart they could reduce weaponskill bloat and add new things to the freed up slots. Things other than just "increase damage by x% for y seconds"... There are many things that have gone away over the years, https://ffxiv.gamerescape.com/w/inde...Removed_Action and I don't think there wouldn't be harmful to bring some back. And also could bring some skills from PvP over to PvE...

Really the only class that needs all their buttons is MNK because of how their combo system works.

[Malthir]

The thing is though, if they were smart they could reduce weaponskill bloat and add new things to the freed up slots. Things other than just "increase damage by x% for y seconds"... There are many things that have gone away over the years, https://ffxiv.gamerescape.com/w/inde...Removed_Action and I don't think there wouldn't be harmful to bring some back. And also could bring some skills from PvP over to PvE...

Really the only class that needs all their buttons is MNK because of how their combo system works.

Personally since they're adding the weaponskill combo to one button press multiple times, I would like them to add more weaponskill combo, remove the pointless OGCD buff and bake them into more weaponskill combo, also giving everyone personal limit breaks that can be used solo leveling or synced up in parties would be good, the codes mostly their for it so that's actually a ridiculously easy change. Basically I would like something like this :

*edit* ok attaching images doesn't work https://imgur.com/XXAtQk6