I found this to be far more significant (other than the laugh over dodge being in that list)
Feat requirements provide a modicum of gradation. A more powerful feat has more stringent requirements. Sometimes the requirement is level based (directly or implied), but that still doesn't change the fact that all feats "cost" the same, regardless of any other factor, including character level. The original design idea was that in a perfect world, a feat you take at 3rd level is still valuable to you at 15th level. And that was a good idea when we created the game, but the game has progressed so far beyond those initial bounds that it may have outgrown the idea of the feat as a single value, non-scaling aspect to the game. Because while you can put stringent requirements on a feat that's better than others, what if you've got a cool ability that just isn't as useful (or useful as often) as existing feats?
First, seriously? If the requirement is higher, the feat can be more powerful? Thats good design? Thats crap. Particularly when the requirement is high stats (and his AE setting has spellcasting feats that require a 17+ in a spellcasting stat, so he really does seem to think this), it just means that already powerful characters are going to grow even more powerful, and sucky characters will stay that way.
Second, that original design idea (that feats would stay valuable as you level) was almost never used, except for possibly power attack, item creation and natural spell, and some metamagic feats (though those actually get more useful as you go up in level). But most of the PH feats are just as crappy as third party or splat book feats. Fucking dodge and cleave are perfect examples. The second at least gets some use if you're fighting weak monsters a lot, but outside of that, its pretty crappy. And I'm not even touching that damn skill related feats. A static bonus over 20 levels? Pfft.
Eh. I know Monte has a serious rep in certain circles (particularly on his message boards, where the folks jizz all over their computers every time he speaks, even after utterly shitty products like the d20 World of Darkness), but even though he has some good ideas some of the time (most of the changes to the AE magic system), most of the time it seems like he is talking out of his ass. And, unfortunately, a lot of people seem to thinks he speaks from a position of authority, so anything he says is gold.
