The OP perhaps unintentionally played into this, through framing in terms of popularity and "favourite". Citizen Kane may be a great movie, without being a favourite. I agree that quality of an artifact in a technical sense is different from popularity, and both may be different from enduring contribution.
I was thinking - it would be interesting to get ratings on each system component, and the game as a whole, by experts in the field. Although then again, the view of the critic, and the view of the professional, can differ. And professional and acclaimed are too, different things.
Arghh!
No, the OP did not unintentionally, nor intentionally, play into anything. Nor was anything framed as you wish it to be in order to make your argument. And, to be completely honest, I have been specifically not engaging with what you are saying because I find your rhetoric and tone objectionable, but you keep employing
me as a rhetorical device. Please stop that.
The thing that I find unenjoyable about your comments is that, in fact, I think what D&D (in 5e) has done is quite amazing; the vast majority of the time, I end up defending 5e from people who rubbish it because it's not
the best at X, Y, or Z. Which, IMO, completely misses the point. There is a reason that there is the old adage that the perfect is the enemy of the good.
There are any number of things that can be designed to appeal to niche markets; it is very difficult to appeal to a broad base of people. This is even moreso when you think of things that are specifically designed to be done in groups. Whether it is choosing a movie to all go to, or a restaurant, or any other social activity, there is often a preference that is better for
the group than for any given individual.
It is far too easy, and too common, for people to overlook what it is that makes things popular. And I am stating that by not trying to be "the best" at specific topics, D&D (and 5e in particular) ends up being the best as a choice for a group (and across groups) specifically because it appeals to a diverse group of interests.
TLDR; you seem to have come into this with the idea that I was rubbishing 5e, and I'm not. Now, if you want to make your own points, please do. But stop mis-using mine, please.