D&D 5E D&D Next is a mess.

[Ahnehnois]

Sorry mate, but it might be time to accept you may just be in the minority...

Me and everyone else. That's what the D&D fanbase is. There is no majority.

 

[Ratskinner]

The lack of oomph is a good way to put it. I guess the thing I am feeling is that while I like much of the traditional feeling of D&D in DDN, I am finding that 4th ed changed my expectations of what makes a good RPG. Things like action points, utility abilities, encounter style powers and pacing, attacks that target defenses other than AC, wizard rolling all attacks etc are not optional add ones for me anymore. They (plus interesting monsters) are that oomph - for me. But I cant help recognize the tensions between these and the lean quick nature of pre 3rd ed D&D.

The problem I keep bumping up against is that FATE (there are other games too, but FATE is my go-to) does all the new-to-D&D-narrative-stuff from 4e better than 4e did.* So, when I want good narrative focus, I turn to FATE. Which leaves me wondering if there's a place/need for that in D&D (at least for my purposes).

*In this case, and for me, "better" means without as much mechanical overhead and fiddly bits. Which I think D&D will forever have trouble with, because its too strongly married to its mechanical sacred cows.