Currently there is a debate going on about why sword canes were added if they were not mechanically better than X.
There was a huge thread about the Monk vow of poverty, and how horrible it was.
To which I slam my head repeatedly into my desk.
Crazy thought here, maybe every build isn't an optimal build.
Maybe, and I know I'm going to get a little nuts here but stay with me, maybe some people think flavor is more important that power because maybe they actually play the game to create a story with the DM, and they want to play an interesting character in that story.
Maybe, and this could just be crazy talk, some people think that your huge eideolon with 15 attacks would probably not be allowed in most major cities, or your Svirfneblin or Dhampir may cause some interaction problems in well lit rooms.
Maybe some DM actually ask the question "What do these characters look like when they walk in a room, and how would people react to them"
Maybe a sword cane is less conspicuous and that has value. Maybe as a player you want the challenge of trying to build a monk character without significant gear.
Maybe some of us are less worried that the new splat book didn't give you the broken option you were hoping for so you could show all your friends how awesome your broken combo is in a made up world for a little while until the Devs realize a mistake and errata it.
Maybe...just maybe...some of us like having more options, while still allowing old options to have value and not be obsolete.
Crazy, I know...