Thanks for the suggestions; a lot of them are kickstarter and I have some ethical concerns about supporting them. I guess I could check out the others, but we're pretty disappointed at this time.
A lot of them where kickstarters, but most of the links have already completed and are available for purchase outside the kickstarter. What would be your ethical concerns? Is kickstarter a suspect orginization? If so I was unaware, I don't want to support an unethical orginization if I can help it.
I guess I just don't understand why the far-and-away leader in the rpg industry isn't taking more risks in the innovation department.
So your issue is not that there isn't content, it is that it isn't produced by WotC. That's fine, I know that bother's some people. However, it is not uncommon for industry leaders to take the conservative approach. I don't know if it is a valid business approach, but it is a common trend across multiple industries. What is interesting about WotC is the innovated with the DMsGuild to provide a place for the creativity of others to grow. WotC can never be as creative as their thousands of fans and now they have a place to showcase that creative - and WotC maintains the right to use it and make it "official!" Pretty clever from multiple points I think.
I don't understand how, with decades of data and research, there are still concerns about "bloat" (though that bizarrely doesn't apply to subclasses) and making high-level play viable...what's the point of being the league leader if you keep playing like you're not?
It is possible that their decades of research indicates the current strategy is the way to go. I mean, it certainly seems to be working for them. I've never been a part of D&D edition that felt so robust & thriving and I started playing in the 80's with AD&D 1e and D&D.
You also have to ask yourself, are you upset they aren't making the game you want? You imply the game isn't viable at high level. That may be true for you, but that is not true for all groups. Just sniff around these forums and you will see quite a few people having a great time with high level. Personally I have group that is level 12 and level 15 (not sure if you consider that high level or not) and we area having a great time. Heck, for one of those groups I even use the monsters straight out of the books!
So, just because you don't like something doesn't mean it isn't working, and apparently working well in this case.
Mind you, I'm not sure WotC is employing the designers I'd want for this kind of thing, but I think they're in a great position to say "Go design the thing you always wanted, be as creative as possible, and don't let the masses dilute it." What terrible thing happens? MAYBE the idea is a dud...so? Lots of smaller companies survive duds. WotC wouldn't feel it at this point.
Eh, it would be nice to see. Whatever.
I guess, I personally I like that WotC keeps the conservative path and it allows all of us homebrewers (the heart of D&D IMO) the space to explore the fringes. I have long ago accepted that no version of D&D (or any RPG) is going to be exactly what I want. What is so exciting to me about 5e is that it has a great and rather innovative foundation upon which you can make all manner of modifications. I am able to easily make a game that very closely resembles my ideal and the explosion if ideas from the community that their approach has created has been an unending inspiration that has helped achieve my goals.
If anything, I fear that if WotC tries to innovate it will kill the creativity in the greater community. For example, before the Artificer came out there where dozens of options created by homebrewers. Now that the official one is out I bet that innovation dries up, and DMs will be less likely to allow 3pp content now that we have an "official" option. The same with Psion and psionics. I think the best approach for me is for WotC to be conservative and let the homebrewers, the creative force behind the game, be creative and innovative. So I guess thus far I am lucky and happy, I'm sorry it is not what your looking for.