Try getting into melee combat in 3rd person view. Try to treat it as if it's first person and the enemy must be in contact with you the camera and not your PC when you swing. You might notice some very slight mechanical differences.He does have a point though. How is it anywhere mechanically different whether the camera is sticked to the top of player character's model or 100 pixels behind it?
With OTS/assview "3rd person" there is hardly any difference. The view still displays what the character sees, turns as the character turns, and does not show anything beyond his FOV other than his wobbling buttocks.
True difference between 1st person and 3rd person lies not in camera coordinates, it lies in camera direction.