Unpopular D&D Opinions

[Talakeal]

Might be a side effect of the video/crpg game era's expectations. Yeah, would like that to get more love.
You have triggered a memory of something in the 90's, IIRC, can't remember if it was a Basic D&D book or AD&D 2e book. It had the words sword and coast in it (Or was it the Red Coast?) That whole "which fencing/sword fighting school you learned at" was included in it.
I think it seemed to cater to that swashbuckling motif that you like.
(FWIW, it seems to me that I saw it at about the time I began to pick up a few Birthright setting books, so they may be contemporary. Does that ring a bell?) (Might have been red steel, but that might not be what I am remembering. Savage Coast does ring a bell).

I have not played Seventh Sea: it seems to fit your genre desire though. Does it have that kind of swordplay you are looking for?

Hmm, after some poking around, looks like Savage Coast began as a Basic D&D setting, Savage Coast, in the 80's, Mystara, that got ported into AD&D sometime in the 90's.
I also may have this mixed up in my memory with some Dragon Magazine articles that may have been in the same issue as an article about the Savage Coast.

Was it Red Steel?