Maybe starting two discussions wasn't the best idea, since we're doing a lot of reposting... but my opinion (already expressed) is:
I hate "required" feats as much as anyone, but that's apparently how this is supposed to work. WotC has not only NOT backed away from expertise feats, they made them even MORE required. I still don't know what the best solution is, but I'm kind of leaning toward just leave it alone and let everyone take the stupid things at level 1 and be done with it.
I agree that everyone should get it, but I think it should be level 5 instead of level 1.
Say a given PC needs an 11 to hit a given type of same level opponent at level one, acquires a new magic weapon/implement at levels 2, 7, 12, 17, 22, and 27, and bumps up his main stat, etc. at all of the appropriate levels.
The first column below shows level, the second his number need to hit without expertise, the third his number need to hit with expertise at level 5, and the fourth his number need to hit with expertise at level 1.
In the third column, his average number needed over the 30 levels is an 11. The same number as he started with at first level.
In the fourth column, his average number is a bit below 11 due to the bonus +1 to hit at levels 1 through 4. I don't see a need to give him a bonus at levels 1 through 4. The game is already balanced for those levels. As can be seen by the second column, it's levels 5+ where the game starts becoming unbalanced.
Code:
01 11 11 10
02 10 10 9
03 11 11 10
04 11 11 10
05 12 11
06 12 11
07 12 11
08 11 10
09 12 11
10 12 11
11 13 12
12 12 11
13 13 12
14 12 11
15 13 11
16 13 11
17 13 11
18 13 11
19 14 12
20 14 12
21 13 11
22 12 10
23 13 11
24 13 11
25 14 11
26 14 11
27 14 11
28 13 10
29 14 11
30 14 11
