3 skills but 4 profiles = horrible

I thought the suggestion of giving changing profiles a cooldown instead of the abilities when a profile is switched to be the best solution.  That would allow you to set up profiles for varying situations and actually use them when the situation arises without allowing you to just spam a dozen powers non-stop by switching profiles.

I think the main problem is that, even if the profile/favorites switching system was more practical (i.e. enough skill points to spread across tons of abilities) I don't think many would use it. I mean, maybe you want to switch from a soldier build to a more vanguard oriented build between fights just for kicks, but has there been any encounter in this game where you thought "man, that fight would've been so much easier if I was just X class vs Y class? I don't think so. Most abilities are just as fine and useful as others. Biotics destroy enemies. Tech destroys enemies. Guns destroy enemies. And if you happen to put point into an ability you truly think isn't useful, you're probably just gonna respec if you need to.

I don't too much mind having only 3 abilities at a time since I think the open nature of the combat makes everything more fast paced. You don't have to pause and examine the situation. You just go. And that's fine with me, but it just makes the profile switching system useless. 

Is it weird that I have never switched profiles? I'm currently on my 3rd play through (hardcore, insanity, insanity). First I was adept, then vanguard, and currently infiltrator. During each game, I stayed within my profile and used only 3 lonely powers. Admittingly, I'm an oldschool gamer, but I find the whole profile thing clunky and immersion-breaking. While I do like the freedom to pick any power from any class, they should just go back to specific classes, for RPG sake.

That's not entirely true - console (and/or PC w/ controller) users always had access to 3 powers (plus 1 each for squadmates) without needing to pull up the power wheel (which pauses the game)

The reason why DA:I had it was because the combat was different. You don't have to aim in DA:I + you can lock on targets. That means that your right thumb is free to use A, B, X, Y buttons freely. ME:A requires you to aim with right thumb, so you need to have abilities on buttons that are easily accessible - bumpers and triggers.

DAI had free-aim (but it  did have an option to lock on targets). We still need to use the jetpck in combat, so our right thumb has some non-aiming functions too. Adding a modificator\toggle (e.g. to the trigger or to the stick button) would've doubled the number of skills hotkeyed  to RB + LB.  

My point is that gamepads or consoles are not responsible for 3-skills-set, combat\UI designers are. 

I think that's a pretty solid idea.

I would still prefer to have a fourth skill regardless though.