So, I was fairly big in on the 4ED&D discussions going on at the WotC boards. I was trying to work hard on homebrew material, such as creating new builds for classes. I left because too many people were not only sensationalists, but too many people would shoot down every idea that I had. Even though I have since left homebrewing D&D to focus my creative crunchy efforts on M&M, I still play D&D because it's a fun and easy game to play with my friends.
Time and time again, though, WotC would do things that I suggested. I'm not saying that I was being plagerized, only that "great minds think alike". I would make a suggestion, posters would disagree with me and say something like "there will never be X" or "they'll never do X" or "X isn't a problem", then a few months later X would be done or would be changed.
Recently, you can see the new Ranger builds here: http://www.wizards.com/DnD/Article.aspx?x=dnd/dramp/2010October
For quite some time, I have been working to create a new ranger build to fill the role of the martial controller. Many of us on the boards were, but many more said that the archer and ranger wasn't the way to do it. Now WotC has done it. They also, in effect, made the ranger a primal class (now classes can be duel roled), which was another thought of mine since day 1.
Just coming to vent here a little, since I'm not going to go into the lion's den and say "I told you so".
This is not an uncommon phenomenon.
I feel the pain.
Are the people who complained about your suggestions now complaining about the new stuff from WotC? I guess they at least get points for consistency if they are :D
I don't have the energy to go check. That would be funny. They'll probably say something like "This wasn't a problem, why did they do this to appease the whinners, the game was perfect before!"
Reminds me how half of my old house rules in 2e (revised 2e) D&D ended up in 3.x D&D.
I only ever found one worthwhile thing on the WotC forums. That being the highly awesome thread on Joe Wood the Commoner. Too much bickering and silliness for me to really visit there other than for that.
And more ... the new Druid build is a Leader. It has an animal companion, which is cool, and I hope will influence the next incarnation of Ranger animal companions.