I get that. If you are looking to play for a few hours and want to get people up and running a streamlined ruleset is what you are looking for. Where 5th, 2nd and Pathfinder are ruleset to build a character that you are going to be running for 2 years or more.
For me the best thing about 4th is that ended the streamlining that was happening with 3.5. The mechanics -- balance (ugh)-- became more important than story telling. For me the article that represented the trend was the discussion about removing the bugbear from the game because mechanically it made no sense to have both Ogres and Bugbears -- both were large, dumb bruisers and therefore the same monster.
Same mentality as 'noodles' restaurant -- if you add Marinara to noodles you have Italian food, if you add peanut sauce you have Thai food. It all boils down to noodles and sauce.
I'm confused. Are you saying that 5e is less streamlined than 4e? 5e is the most streamlined D&D ever.
I don't know what article you're talking about, but they never removed Bugbears.
