Basically people who complain you cannot make a gritty dark fantasy in style of Berserk or Game of Thrones in 5e be it because it turns PCs into op superheroes who cannot die or because there is abundance of easy and safe magic or (if they're covered bigots) because of the push for diversity in game's aesthetics and moving away from humanocentrism and always evil races...all these people would be happier if they dropped D&D and played Warhammer Fantasy.
Paladin leveled up enough to get Spirit Guardians. I like this approach to roleplaying learning new spells, I may need to think how to utilize it in my game
Considering I've been running 5e since the Plague Year, I wouldn't call myself a hater. I did notice, however, this very pattern whenever I voice concerns about anything with the rules - first people assume whatever flaw or exploit I point out, has been used in my group and then their solution is always to leave the group or kick someone out of it, and if it didn't happen in my group, then it means it doesn't ever happen. It's a catch-22 debating with these people.
You should consider that Forgotten Realms wasn't really the default setting before 5e.
In 4e it was Points of Laght/Dawn World/Netir Vale which was designed from bottom up to be easy to put in anything you want and it is credited for codifying on paper worldbuilding principles that are as wold as fantasy itsel (the poitns of light-style world). In 3e era it was Generic Setting, which was just Greyhawk without any words that would make them have to pay Gygax royalties. In TSR there was no default setting, they all just coexisted.
WotC turned Realms into a default setting by pretending any unique stuff doesn't exist or trying to make it "the default" - look at Gnolls. The "hyenas turned into half-demons from eating Yeenoghu's blood" thing could work for Realms (it's a new lore invented for this edition), but WotC just HAD to try to force it on ever other world they own, goig so far to retcon two Gnoll bodyguards in Sinsiter Secret of Saltmarsh into Hobgoblins, just to keep the illusion Realms have nothing unique going for it.
I run two groups right now - one for d&d and one for Blades in the Dark. Blades group are people with whom we tried D&D before but they found it too combat-focused and "like someone put his gross math fetish into a game". First group I may one day run Pathfinder 2e for ew camapign. Second one I don't even suggest this option.
I still got videos with titles like "Five Rule Changes that PROVE One D&D just return of Fourth Edition" or "Did Pathfinder 2e Remastered steal these rules from Fourth Edition?". Like a new clickabit fad, declare everything 4e or something.
I have a player who is also very clearly there to be vibin with the friends. She's an elderly lady, who I had trouble adjust to because she will pivot to most simple playstyle possible (when she was playing Bard/Rogue she would each turn do sneak attack plus healing word and ignore other spells or bardic inspiration) and ignores plot hooks I place for her. It took me time to realize she is there to hang out with her friends and I don't have to press her to participate more, she is having fun just being in the group and watch others roleplay. She is okay to play any rpg, however, not just d&d. I actually plan to ask her, after we finish this campaign, to try moving to my other group, which plays more narrative games, as I see she struggles with d&d ruless.
a new setting to check is always welcome