Please note that will all his research, this is the message that was pulled from it and quoted.
"In the spreadsheet above you can see, the Fighter's combat efficacy... is adjusted significantly downward in 5th edition."
"Efficacy" is effectiveness. "the ability to produce a desired or intended result."
This reads "The fighter's combat effectiveness is significantly lower in 5th Edition."
I'm surprised that you *aren't* reading it that way. It is not just pure, innocent stats. The moment that statement was made, it changed the message of his report. It turned the entire excercise into flawed evidence for a negative value judgment of the effectiveness of the 5th edition Fighter. Either it was on purpose, or he is incorrectly thinking that only BAB applies to the effectiveness of Fighters.
The research is interesting, and the graph is pretty, but the conclusion is what upset some of us, because it is inflammatory and flawed.
... in my opinion.
A fighter's effectiveness level cannot be inflammatory. It cannot give rise to upset. It has no moral or emotional context. Is a less efficient fighter class inferior game design in your opinion? Or superior? Or what? Do better games have more efficient fighters or something? I don't get it. Is M&M a better game because it has Superman in it?
If you disagree with the article, that's fine. Debating it is fun and interesting. Casting aspersions on the motives or character of the author or ascribe emotional descriptors like "inflammatory" or levels of "innocence" to it? Pure silliness.
Yeah, I know. "But, internet". That's what the internet does, whatever the topic. Doesn't mean I don't cringe when I see it.