I myself can't stand that ability, the sheer degree of system mastery required to make it work is a gaming pleasure killer
The floor is way too low on that class. I'm cool with martial flexibility, but I don't think it pays off enough for the low accuracy the class has to live with. It's reliance on mostly light weapons keeps its damage per hit pretty low too. And throwing out a bunch of inaccurate, low-damage attacks never seems like a good idea, or anything like my idea of fun.
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Actually Melkiador, their damage also increases with level so it's not too bad overall. I'm not sure what you mean by low accuracy - it is a full BAB class...
There's a brawler in a campaign I'm in who is our front line fighter (alongside a Paladin) and holds his own very, very well. So well, I'm building a brawler for an upcoming campaign for myself just to play with the class.
I agree with Klorox though - it does require quite a bit of system mastery to do well. But like most things, you don't have to do it well to have fun with it! :)
The low accuracy is from only being a full BAB class, without having any class abilities to boost their attack. This is combined with flurry, which apparently heaps a -2 to attack on this value. Compare this to just about every other full BAB class that gets additional bonuses to attack in addition to their full BAB.
The damage problem isn't exactly there if you compare them to other two weapon fighting builds, but then you have to make the assumption that the brawler is always taking that -2 to attacks, because if they don't their damage is behind.
Brawlers are a good recipient of the Possessed Hand feats. You reduce your two-weapon fighting penalties even further and you have a hand buddy.
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The floor is way too low on that class. I'm cool with martial flexibility, but I don't think it pays off enough for the low accuracy the class has to live with. It's reliance on mostly light weapons keeps its damage per hit pretty low too. And throwing out a bunch of inaccurate, low-damage attacks never seems like a good idea, or anything like my idea of fun.
Use Mutagenic Mauler if you think Martial Flexibility is too weak. Fixes the accuracy pretty well.
Use Quarterstaves, Spiked Heavy Shields, or burn a feat on a Monk weapon if you want some good old 2-handing.
Martial flexibility is simple awesome. I haven't played a Brawler yet but most of my builds have the feat Barroom Brawler because it is just that good.
Take a couple hours and go through all the situational feats and pick about a 8 or 9 that fit the build best. Keep the spreadsheet handy and after a few games you will love it too.
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I do like Martial Flexibility, and describe it as "Using Combat Feats Like Spells". I also like Mutagenic Maulers, if you want a brawler but don't want to look through every combat feat and make a list of the situational ones you might want, but not to take for real.
If I'm the GM and one of my players has a brawler, I'd want to help out with that spreadsheet. If there's something the player's missing, or hinting at something that'd be a treat to use later on down the line.
Whenever I look at the Brawler class, I always default to "Okay, so the Snakebite Striker..." because Martial Flexibility just seems like so much of a hassle. I understand how powerful it could be when sufficiently abused, but I would never want to jump through hoops like that myself, especially in combat. I'd much rather have a solid, straightforward ability like Sneak Attack.
I played a Brawler (who happened to be the party's archer/flex-fighter) in a campaign several months ago. It's entirely true I lost out on all of the damage bonuses when I was using the bow, but I had such great flexibility to meander in and out of any combat situation it was worth it. All my own feats I took were the feat taxes (power attack, point blank shot ect) and let martial flexibility carry me through combat depending on what a fight needed.
One combat I'd keep near our Geisha Bard and if someone got close I'd kick them in the face (see also: Knockout) for going near her while shooting down ranged threats.
The next I'd be in the middle of a big nasty melee with a short sword keeping raiders off the Swashbucker while he was calling down the big-bad guy to settle things like men (or half-orcs since, ya know).
Or I'd be in a bar room brawl grappling people and suplexing them through the tables while the Dwarven Fighter was busy selling shin guards (aka: Cleaving).
I was never GREAT at anything. In fact in a lot of ways I was kinda lame, but I never lacked for being able to help people out when they needed it. My job wasn't to be efficient at everything I did, it was to plug the holes that the combat left us with. In that regard it leaves you feeling more like a bard than a monk. You aren't awesome on your own, but you make everyone around you WAY more awesome for being there.