D&D 5E Really concerned about class design

[MichaelSomething]

So instead of making more subclasses, they should make a book full of role-playing advice like, "Motivation! How to find it," "Is Method Acting right for you?" or "Put your Backstory up front!"

I'd buy it!

 

[Maxperson]

That would be good for new players, but more experienced players who have been playing and DMing for years don't need something like that. It would hold less appeal for me than a module, and I have only bought one module since 2e.

 

[Tony Vargas]

Except that in this case you are optimizing the character. You are just optimizing it with different criteria than DPR. The biggest problem is that DPR optimizers seem to think that their way of optimizing is the only one there is.

Actually, that's one thing that's help'n 5e out, in the passing for sorta balanced department. DPR is the easiest plausible balance criterion to check. So, run the numbers, and, hey, the overall single-target DPR of most classes is pretty comparable over one of those 6-8 encounter/2-3 short rest, 25+ rounds-of-combat, days.

 

[Maxperson]

Actually, that's one thing that's help'n 5e out, in the passing for sorta balanced department. DPR is the easiest plausible balance criterion to check. So, run the numbers, and, hey, the overall single-target DPR of most classes is pretty comparable over one of those 6-8 encounter/2-3 short rest, 25+ rounds-of-combat, days.

It may be the easiest to balance, but it's not the end all be all of playing D&D. If I want to optimize my PC for roleplay, you want to optimize yours for DPR, and the next guy wants to optimize for exploration, we are all optimized. Not one of the PCs is suboptimal, or really, all of them are.

People who optimize for DPR don't have the right to complain because I want to optimize for something other than damage. They should play their character and let me play mine. I guarantee you that you won't hear me complain that they do more damage.

 

[Tony Vargas]

If I want to optimize my PC for roleplay, you want to optimize yours for DPR, and the next guy wants to optimize for exploration, we are all optimized. Not one of the PCs is suboptimal, or really, all of them are.

Hey, I actually kinda agree with that last bit.
Optimized for one pillar is sub-optimal compared to optimized for the flexibility to be good at any of the three, as the campaign demands. Part of what makes Tier 1 classes stand out.

DPR...may be the easiest to balance, but it's not the end all be all of playing D&D.

IDK if it's the easiest to balance. It's the easiest for the fractious fanbase to check up on, which probably makes it harder to balance (get away with leaving slightly imbalanced?) - I mean, folks get all punctilious over half-point-of-damage differences among otherwise-identical weapons.