Q285: Why do some people like Pathfinder more than 3.5?
This question isn't as rhetorical as it sounds, people I play with are getting more and more obsessed with Pathfinder and I don't understand why.
A285: In my case, it's because Pathfinder core + APG is better balanced than 3.5 at pretty much any level of sourcebook allowance and allows options about on par with D&D core + completes. The balance isn't perfectly fixed by a long shot, but in general classes are at least nudged in the right direction towards balance and the game balance starts to fall apart badly more around level 15 than the level 7 or so that 3.5's game balance falls apart.
Note that this does not apply if you're allowing unchecked 3.5 sourcebook access in addition to Pathfinder materials, because by necessity a lot of the balancing for casters came from nerfing some of their spells and letting in Spell Compendium pretty much undoes that entirely. I do think it's fine to work in older PrCs on a case-by-case basis, though.
This is what's always cited to me as well, but it seems like Fighters and Paladins went in the right direction, Druids got nerfed, Clerics got nerfed a little (mostly spells), Wizards went nowhere and Sorcerers got buffed. lolwut?
Fighters and Paladins still hit people with sticks, and the other classes still cast spells. I've been told that Oracles do a mean combat as well, embarassing fighters.
I'm in a Core PF game with a Fighter and some other people and I'm playing a Sorc and it seems just as dumb as it ever did (though I guess I can do a smaller number of foolish things).
They also nerfed combat manuevers (Improved Trip is now two feats now) and made terrible feats like Elephant Stomp. (While I'm sure 3.5 has a ton of bad feats and I can name several, it's more glaring when there are less feats since each one is effectively one option that isn't even actually an option)
I dunno, don't want to hijack the thread but just wanted to update with "That's what I've heard" and "I don't buy it." I'd be willing to hear other ideas.