Speaking of ignoring questions, no one has bothered to answer the one I've posed this entire time.
What part of "unarmed attacks are not considered weapons" is vague, or ambiguous. Because every time I say the rule is settled because Jeremy has said that SEVERAL times on various forms of communication, folks keep disagreeing.
So why not answer it ? All you do is complain how you don't agree with it, or how not everyone is on Twitter, which isn't the point I've argued at all. The only thing I've said is that it's a settled rule. Because it is. That is not under dispute, and your inference that it is because some people haven't seen it is fundamentally flawed for reasons I gave above.
So how about answering my question I've been asking for a long time, if you want people to answer questions.
Ah, but you aren't including the entire picture, are you?
Even though unarmed strikes (not "attacks", by the way) are not considered weapons, you can use them to make melee weapon attacks. That is not where the confusion lies IMO once you are presented with the statement.
Your point is well taken. Sooner or later people will be told of the rule as intended. Many people are fine with that, but others are miffed. Why the change? What is wrong with the other way? 5E is about natural language and yet the language is confusing for some players, especially newbies.
To that point, the confusion comes with features where you make a melee weapon attack but cannot use that feature with unarmed strikes.
For example,
Divine Smite:
Starting at 2nd level, when you hit a creature with a melee weapon attack, you can expend one paladin spell slot to deal radiant damage to the target, in addition to the weapon’s damage. The extra damage is 2d8 for a 1st-level spell slot, plus 1d8 for each spell level higher than 1st, to a maximum o f 5d8. The damage increases by 1d8 if the target is an undead or a fiend.
Now. I want to make an unarmed strike as a melee weapon attack, which is allowed. I want to use my divine smite when I hit. Can I? The text says I deal radiant damage in addition to the weapon's damage. Well, I didn't use a weapon so I gain no damage from that, but I still get the radiant damage. Oh, and since an unarmed strike does 1 + STR, I get that, too.
Others argue since I didn't use a weapon, I can't use Divine Smite. Why not?
How about
Horde Breaker:
Once on each o f your turns when you make a weapon attack, you can make another attack with the same weapon against a different creature that is within 5 feet o f the original target and within range of your weapon.
Here, it very specifically states "when you make a weapon attack", so you must have a weapon and be attacking with that weapon. It is clear unarmed strikes do
not work with Horde Breaker.
And examples, in both directions, continue. Some clear, some not. People ask why have the distinction? Because JC says so. Uh-huh... great call on his part. It isn't for game balance as I can see it, at least not given any argument anyone has made so far.