I like the concept of feats. However, I've never completely understood if there is a way to balance feats. Some feats only happen at certain times and other feats are permanent bonuses.
It seems to me that feats can be split so we have:
Feats
Feats are something you can do. They involve an action and specific uses.
Enhancements
Enhancements are bonuses or abilities that are gained permanently. They can increase Feat effectiveness, boost skills, give you bonuses to your saves or bonuses to attack, damage or armor class. There is no action to activate enhancements.
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If feats/enhancements are done this way I understand that this makes them more like 4e. However, I think this would make it easier to balance and create new actions under 3.5.
Would this be backwards compatible with 3.5? I'm not sure.
I think you are never going to really have a balanced set of feats...
For example that the 3.5 Dodge isn't as useful as the 3.5 Power Attack.
Having said that, I personally never use the base classes other than the PHB (though i do use Presitige Classes) and really plan an overall theme to my characters...
So, if I wsnt a Swashbuckler theme (depending on the rest of the character), I start with a fighter or rogue or bard and give him the dodge feat and other swashbuckling apropiate feats (weapon finese, two weapon fighting for the Florentine styled characters, combat expertise, etc.)
Powergamers can choose based on most bang for the feat (and i wholeheartedly implore them to do so if that is what floats their boat) but some of us are fluff guys....
And yes, i like frilly shirts, tight leather pants and flashy rapier moves... long live Dumas.
BTW my favorite paladin in literature is El ingenioso hidalgo don Quijote de la Mancha... so he didnt cast spells and jousted with windmills... we can't all be Galhad.