Maybe you're a better DM than I, or anyone who DMed games I played in. All I can relate is my experience. My experience was that, particularly at higher levels, 4E became a tactical war game with some RP sprinkled on top.
In addition, 5E appears to be far more popular than 4E. In my area, we lost more than half our regular players to PathFinder when 4E came out. Before 5E was announced our group had decided we were going to go back to 3.5 or to PathFinder as soon as we wrapped up our campaign.
I think the design philosophy of 5E being significantly different from 4E (while stealing some good ideas of course), that there has been a huge resurgence in sales and interest in the game speak for themselves.
But anyway, I don't see any point to adding any more to the edition wars. I like flexibility, creativity, and cinematic role playing. I find that easier to do, and that it happens with more regularity, with the current version of the rules than with other recent editions.
Maybe, if you see no point to adding any more to the editions wars, just...don't do that. Seems pretty easy to me, to just...not?
I get finding things easier in one system or another. What is controversial, imo, is claiming that one system inherently makes it easier, when you can't possibly be unaware that others did not find that to be the case.
I'm not saying you are wrong about your experiences. That isn't the point of bringing up my experiences. What I am telling you, unequivocally, is that your experience isn't universal, not everyone found roleplaying and improvisation harder in 4e, and many find it just as hard in 5e, and some even harder in 2e, and so it is not an inherent property of codified specific abilities. It is a perception that you and others with similar experience have, and some new players have, not a thing that a system creates out of nothing.
Here is some free advice of my own, although I'll quibble and point out that plenty of what is free in life is of immense value, especially advice given in good faith.
For many older edition players, the problem is a perception created by the
change, specifically. Ie, going from vaguely to specificity creates the perception of restriction, for some people. Just telling them that no such restriction exists, and reminding them in play, pointing out opportunities to think beyond the sheet, should usually solve this, though it can be harder with some players who are really stuck in their ways.
One trick I've used in 5e with players who were introduced to RPGs with less codified games than DnD, is to tell them to turn their sheet over, and only look at t when I ask them to make a roll for something, or I need them to reference an ability.
For some older ed players, I know it is a result of he change, specifically, rather than what the system is actually telling them. On the back of their sheet, they can write their name, class, the name of any key things that they feel define their character, and their ability scores, and what gear they carry. That's it.
For new players, it's much easier. Just introduce them to the game as a game of creative thinking and improv, and excplicitly tell them that their sheet is a starting point, that sets what they are especially good at, what their core competences are, and what they have practiced into reflexive muscle memory, as well as guide to what
sorts of things their character is good at, but never a restriction on their total capabilities.