This is why I'm moving to different systems. Rules-as-written D&D is essentially a power fantasy.
(If your character can't make a difference, it really isn't much fun.)
The strangest thing I see in today's young roleplayers is how they stick to a single system -- D&D 5e -- obsessively. Different systems are good at different aspects of storytelling, and the occasional attempts at universally-applicable rules (GURPS, I'm looking at you) tend to be mediocre at everything. A really good GM can overcome this, but you shouldn't need to depend on having a really good GM in order to have a successful game.
On the other hand, every lesson learned from this article is applicable across games and genres and media types.
The power fantasy comes as a reward for those early phases of the game where characters build their careers up in those editions.
e.g. trying to do https://bullypulpitgames.com/games/grey-ranks/ in any edition of D&D won't work well.
Haven't decided on a system for the next campaign, maybe Spire, Night's Black Agents (or other Gumshoe system), or one of the many excellent PbtA games.