I can't speak for LostSoul's love or otherwise of D&D (though for someone who is being alleged not to like it, he seems to play a fair bit of it!). But lack of facing and turn-by-turn initiative have only been part of the game for two editions. Whereas facing, and initiative systems that (in various ways) are closer to continuous initiative were part of the game from OD&D through B/X through AD&D through the Rules Compendium.
If D&Dnext can't support that sort of approach to combat, that would be a major gap.
