Seriously, the Fighter's been designed very carefully and evolved since the very first version of the game Nandrew made. Big changes to him aren't going to work. The Fighter is a blank canvas that the player can excel WITH, it's really hard trying to build a character that doesn't push towards any one particular play-style. I'm pretty sure you've all forgotten what the discovery process of DD was like for you, but we really have to keep that in mind and actively reward players for ANY sort of strategic learning they figure out.
Think about it this way: If the Fighter has any set of optimal strategies with which to excel, then he effectively hamstrings new players as they come into the game because he weights their initial perception of the game systems. He's also the initial comparison point for other classes, the spirit-level of feel in the game: "Oh, Wizards cast more than the Fighter, but deal less combat damage, I see!"
Also, 40 bonus experience for completely free is hax. You're just not using it right if you say he's weak...