Dash is useless and jumping is the optimal way to move even if there aren't any verticality.
Sure, the difference for non-strenght based characters is "important" but it does not worth wasting your action at all.
Images:
Seems like your claim is only true for Strength characters. Gale doesn't look like he gained any significant distance from using the Jump Bonus Action...? Maybe 5 extra feet of distance, for a ~15% movement speed buff?
Whereas the strength character got an extra ~15-20 feet of movement by jumping, for a ~60% movement speed buff.
And of course the big consideration is: "Is that extra distance worth a bonus action?" The answer to which is highly affected by
- verticality of terrain
- opportunity attacks that you might entirely skip by jumping over enemies
- surface hazards you could jump over
- what other bonus actions your character has
Of course it depends the situation. It is mostly usefull during the first turn for some characters... And always for characters that have to move a lot during combats.
But I'd rather ask if wasting an action worth the extra distance given by dash. Answer highly affected by :
- the size of combat arena
- the range of attack of non-strenght based characters
Many spells and all ranged weapons have a range attack of 18m. If Gale jump + move it is 11m more. It mean that even the worst character at jumping can attack 27m arround him at the cost of an action + a bonus action. Except at the beginning of combats, you mostly never need 27m so the extra distance given by dash that makes you move 7m farther is a waste of action in most situation.
I have plenty exemple in my last playthrough (I record everything) in which Gale use this technique and can attack an ennemy he could'nt have if he had just move (or obviously if he had dash).
On top of that, strenght based characters is a rather "common" build.
Just try to jump before moving and you'll probably notice pretty fast how optimal it is
![[Linked Image from i.ibb.co]](https://i.ibb.co/dtw7k9c/Dash.png)
![[Linked Image from i.ibb.co]](https://i.ibb.co/SxYRtc9/Jump-and-move.png)
