gorice
Hero
The actual gameplay is not like older editions, though. I think it feels that way because (1) it's full of nostalgia bait, and (2) you haven't actually changed the way you play very much, at least at a higher level. I don't think you like 5e; you like the game you were always playing, and 5e made you feel validated. The reason people were upset about 4e is that it had functional rules that were meant to be used, and they didn't want to be told how to play.I just had this discussion with a buddy of mine who's been playing D&D nearly as long as I have. We, and my wife for that matter, disagree. While the details may have changed the actual gameplay feels like older editions, something I can't say about 4E.
Those were just examples. Giving a full list would take me a long time. The short version is: 5e doesn't just work, but it's vague enough that people have convinced themselves it does.It’s ok for things to just work. You don’t need to make a meal of the small stuff… and those issues are small stuff. They’re minor details, and not clear cut by any stretch of the imagination. Plenty of folks would disagree about level of problem with sorcerer and ranger. Or judge by different metrics than power.
Ultimately designers have to make decisions. It isn’t design by committee. Playtests are just that… tests. They aren’t a manifesto commitment or a pledge.
Also, I want to reiterate, I never said anything about the ranger or druid being underpowered. I'm saying that they don't make sense as fantasies, unless the fantasy is 'D&D ranger and druid'. It's all self-referential.