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I don't want to return to 1e-style mechanics with class-specifics. I just want people choosing to melee to be able to do so without becoming irrelevant, and not just fighters.
If we wanted a return to 1st and 2nd edition style fighter vs. wizard balance, all 'standard action' casting time spells would have to be increased to full-round action castings (with some exceptions*), so that melee attacks would have a much better chance of interrupting spellcasters. That's the big difference between 1st and 3rd edition for melee vs. caster balance, the vastly increased difficulty involved in interrupting a caster's spell.
*I'd except any spell that's already faster than a standard action, like Close Wounds or Feather Fall, and any Touch spell, like Shocking Grasp or Inflict Light Wounds, making them Move Actions instead. Spellcasters would be slow when casting most of the save or dies or terrain effecting spells or AoE damaging spells, but be able to cast and attack with the much more personally risky touch spells like Shocking Grasp.