Is there a meaningful distinction to be made between the system and the content?

[KorvinStarmast]

Bad Content: until PHB3.

As an aside: one of the reasons I never tried 4e (when my nephew asked if I was going to get into the new edition) is that I was sick and tired of having to buy new books. (I had sold my 3.5 stuff to half priced books for some beer money).
I finally overcame that in 2014 when I downloaded the Basic Rules for 5e when my brother called and promised that I could play, not DM. (Hmm, guess how that has since worked out?)

--Ritual magic was too expensive and time-consuming to use regularly.

Ritual Magic is something that I wish D&D did better, regardless of edition.

I'll add that I'm writing something in that niche...might make it into public playtesting via Foundry VTT once I finish my dissertation.

Might this be where I volunteer to be a play tester? You know where to find me.

I definitely feel like D&D should not be 20, not because of D&D itself, but because to say that everything between roll for shoes and D&D is less than 1/5 of the spectrum is weird.

Roll For Shoes; on my list if I can get our group to try it.