WalterKovacs
First Post
This depends on the definishing of wasting time.
Essentials created new classes, which automatically had a lot of support in the form of old utility powers, feats and paragon paths (amongst other things), while still doing something new. If, for example, the runepriest had been a new type of Cleric, it would have at lot of existing content to supplement it's initial write up. Ditto if the seeker had been a ranger variant.
The mage, even the evoker/pyromancer, isn't much of a replacement for the sorceror. The bladesinger (and hexblade) while functionally similar to a swordmage fills different purposes. It would be like saying that a warlord and a fighter are the same thing just because both can be a sword and board in heavy armor.
Also, essentials recovered old terrain because the purpose was as a second launch, intended as an easy entry into a game that had gotten pretty complicated, while also making some more "iconic" versions of the iconic classes.
Also, if there is a Goldy Locks amount of support for a class ... what is easier to accomplish? Get EVERY undersupported class up to that Goldy Locks level, or create a variant of an existing class that can do a similar job? Since it's PART of an 'oversupported' class, it already has better support than undersupported classes on day 1. So, if they are going to do a new class, attaching it to an existing class (especially one with tons of support) is a way to avoid creating another class that will end up being undersupported.
And, is anyone actually making an argument that they should not put out any new classes until all the old stuff is brought up to snuff?
What they are doing now is trying to go with fluff first, crunch later. This means, the books are focused on an idea, like the Feywild or Shadowfell, instead of "Splat book for characters of this power source"
Obviously, WOTC have a reason to stop doing the PHB, MM, DMG, AV, XPower, etc books. If those were selling well, they would have kept doing it. Instead, they have moved towards a more fluff dictates crunch area instead of "let's make a power source with a class for each role; let's make a book with 2 new builds for each class of this power source; let's have 1 feat for each class + race combo" area.
Ultimately, any book they put out has to consider what is going to sell, and what the target audience is. For players, you are most likely to buy something that either helps an existing character, or interests you for a new character. In terms of existing characters, WOTC has the Character Builder data to give them a good idea of what people are playing. It's a bit harder to guess what people will be interested in playing, but something NEW is probably a better chance of catching someone's interest than a new build of something that already exists. Unless that new build is something out there enough to be considered new, it's target audience is for the people already playing the class, and people that were interested in playing the class, but need that little extra push before they do it. I don't have the numbers, but the target audience of "people we failed to convince the first tme" seems like one that isn't predisposed to liking what you are offering, while the people who liked the last 5 books with new wizard schools/spells are probably going to want book 6.
The reason why Dragon is a perfect place for content for undersupported classes is that, not only is it something you either get every month or you don't, so you don't need to 'sell' it in the same way you would a book, but also because access to a new runepriest article is paired with the previous runepriest content (i.e. the character builder). On the other hand, if someone who doesn't subscribe to ddi picks up a new book, and it has a runepriest build it in that is awesome enough that they want to play it, and they are a newer player ... they have to go out and find a PHB3. Which, a lot of stores probably aren't stocking any more.
