Pathfinder is 3.5 right? Been so long, actually since I played 3.5 that I'd forgotten the rules, tbh. I've been very much into 5e. Why? BECAUSE it's simpler. Even in computer form where a lot of the work is done for you, I much prefer the 5e rules, even Larian's not as faithful 5e, over the long lists of feats you have to try to remember that your character has every time you act, the complexity of all the spells... Everything.
I remember as a DM trying so hard to manage everything and remember everything for 3.5e and prior. It was a lot harder than 5e. A LOT harder. I remember after gaming sessions feeling like I'd just done homework, especially Math homework.
But most of all, the older systems like 3.5e would take FOREVER to level a character up. SO many options every time, and many players would pour over the skills and feats and such for a long time because they just couldn't figure out which things they should pick. And they'd get frustrated because they'd mess up and pick some feat they thought they could get and they really wanted, but it had some prerequisites they didn't realize existed and they would get mad. There was a lot more versatility, but the price was a lot of players being confused often about selecting special abilities and skills and such. I'd often hear, "I feel like my character sucks now.". You REALLY had to know the game to successfully build your characters. It was not beginner friendly.
3e and 3.5e were the editions I started out with as a teen, and let me tell you, as someone with dyscalculia, keeping track of all those numbers was a real nightmare. I also feel you on accidentally gimping characters on level up, I remember I used to have entire notebook pages filled with 1-20 level plans for moderately decent builds (aka builds that were actually useful above 10th level), with all the feats I needed to take at what level, just so I could keep track of what I needed to do, because it really wasn't simple.
I tried out Pathfinder a while ago and had pretty much the same issue. I love what Paizo is doing, but I just can't make my brain be better at their game system. The only way I'm going to play those systems again is with a computer handling the nitty gritty for me. I have grown to despise nesting feat trees and hope they never make a comeback in D&D.
