You do not have to remember the syntax; you can use Vimscript and you can create a custom keybinding that prompts you for the "findtext" and "replacetext" strings, then apply the search-and-replace operation over the next 5 lines (number of lines is easily adjustable and can be prompted for it, too; it does not have to be hard-coded either).

Vim users don't have to choose between precision and ease of use as you can build macros or mappings that match ANY workflow, creating powerful, customized processes that minimize the need to remember exact syntax or type it all out, for example achieving results similar to multiple cursors but with Vim's inherent efficiency and scalability. So, while Sublime Text's multiple cursors are handy, Vim can match - and even exceed - this functionality with very little setup (emphasis: one time setup!).

(I use VSCodium (which I really enjoy) for Go, PHP, and Elixir; IntelliJ IDEA for Java and Kotlin, and I use both Emacs and Vim for everything else).

I more commonly solve a problem like this one with /findtext<CR>creplacetext<Esc>n.n.n.n.

Remembering the syntax is not a problem here. Learning it in the first place, on the other hand...

I do like multiple cursors though. I end up switching to VSCode a couple times a week to do things where it's the right tool for the job.

What about holding down the shift arrow, pressing the down arrow five times, then ctrl-r? In most IDEs replace with an active selection will default to replacing only in the selection.