I feel like when we identify something as an "Absurdity" which Barrelmancy certainly is then we look to Mods to bring it back into the game for those people who want that.
I have no doubt some nostalgic modder will do that for people who want to defy physics and carry 10 barrels, place them next to various baddies and detonate them and then jump up and down clapping to the explosions' - as I assume people do - before running off to compose poetry to Michael Bay.
I get the sense that we are all mostly fine with how things currently stand after Patch 5, yet the arguments are going on. I confess to being somewhat at a loss at this point.
