Quote Originally Posted by MagiusNecros View Post
Not really sure what the answer is. It amazes me that FFXI has great job complexity and identity and a subjob system that amplifies the main job you play but in XIV it is so cookie cutter in comparison.
Perhaps that's why, maybe they wanted to get away from their identity in FFXI and create something more appealing to a wider audience. The reality is, not everyone wants to sit and do mental math over what attack is better in each situation or consider cooldown drifting and things like that. Some people want to just sit down, push buttons and complete content quickly without too much thought behind it. The study I linked above basically shows that strategy/critical thinking in video games is on a downward trend. We also had sub jobs here originally but they were removed, most likely at the request of the player base.

I think times are just changing and Square is trying to future-proof for the majority and the incoming generations who are being raised on short-form media/TikTok (media that doesn't require much brain power to comprehend). Those who want something complex just might not be their target audience anymore.