If some people don't want to push buttons, maybe they are playing the wrong game?
BattleMaster was the "button pushing" version of SpellMaster. BattleMaster is still around. SpellMaster died. Many times. Mechanics are a core element of this game, not "a necessary evil".
Players chose to have more characters, they weren't forced to. You weren't pressured to, either. I never saw anyone go "that guy only has ONE character in our realm, screw him!".
So if by "fixing the buttons" you mean "remove player agency by making everything automatic", then no, I don't see that as a solution.
Fixing the buttons can be as easy as making buttons that don't rely on a 2nd character. If I meant remove the buttons and the mechanics I would have said remove them, not fix them. We have constantly looked to change mechanics in response to lowering player numbers, modifying mechanics to avoid the need to inflate density via 2nd characters is no different.
Buttons are fine, characters need buttons. But characters that exist only to press buttons is not in my opinion good or desirable. Mind you that might be because I play M&F where 90% of characters exist only to cope with M&F's own version of this problem.
