In the interest of un-hijacking this thread, I'm going to pontificate on the nature of core D&D and why so much is made of why certain play styles are "broken", "irrelevant", or just "inferior".
To me, Core D&D is like a big toolbox that I use to tell stories. It a toolbox full of classes, spells, races, and basic assumptions that lend itself to telling a particular type of story, but it's also capable of being used, as is, to tell other types of stories.
Sure, I might use a few tools more than others, or simply not use a few tools at all, but my Core D&D toolbox does the job. It also does the job for a number of other people - that guy over there is building a plain and sturdy woodshed (low magic, maybe), while that lady over there is building a tricked-out go-cart with her kids (higher magic, more flashy, perhaps). Then, over in the corner, an artist is making a beautiful sculpture that really captures his mood (heavy role playing?), and outside in the back, someone is building a a full addition on his house, foundation up (heavy worldbuilding, maybe?).
The beauty of it is that anyone familiar with Core D&D can look at someone else's creation and not only appreciate it, but understand some of the underlying foundation of it. In effect, Core D&D is a common language that we all use as we see fit.
Now here's the tricky part.
Core D&D is changing. First with 3rd Ed, and now with 3.5, the basic toolbox we all use is undergoing some changes - in part based on what other people are requesting. That means that the manufacturer of all our toolboxes is fiddling with the tools inside.
Makes you wonder what people are thinking:
"What if my favorite wrench - the one I use because it fits my hand so well - is not going to be included in the next run? Heck, if they get rid of that socket size, I'm going to have to replace all my bolts! Well I'm just going to have to do something about that! Maybe if I can convince enough people that these particular tools are necessary, the manufacturer will leave them alone. Or maybe they'll finally include that tool I've always wanted them to! Maybe I'll get lucky and their retool this drill to work better for my type of projects. Sure, it might make it harder for other craftsmen, but there are specialty sets better suited for that anyway."
See where its going?
People involve themselves in discussion of this typ in order to ensure that their particular vision of D&D is intact enough to still support their vision of gaming. The sooner we all realize it, the better off we'll all be.
