the Jester
Legend
I realize you won't agree with my assessment and that is ok. If you give it some thought though I think you will agree that this is a superior method regardless of which edition it was initially developed in.
You make it sound like there's an objectively better choice rather than a matter of playstyle preference. I couldn't disagree more.
Personally, I would much rather have more class features so that my fighter has lots of FIGHTER!!! to him and less feats, which I can use to add some Archer! to him, but again, it's a matter of taste.