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It's no surprise that as the writer of 8 different guides, I'm a large fan of them. But I'd like to know what the community thinks of class guides. They're certainly a dividing issue, as some people think they homogenize builds too much, while others appreciate having all of that information easily accessible, learning about things they would have otherwise not known about. So I'd like to get the opinion of the community on what people think about guides; if they're a good thing or if you'd like to see less of them.
I like them as a pool for the options. With so many softcovers being released and the delay online sites have I sometimes am unaware that options exist for a class. So when I read a guide and they say, "Hey this cool feat in X book is awesome for this class" and to see someone's thoughts on the different options and their reasoning behind it. Also I use it to find ideas for feats or spells. Like I have an evangelist cleric, I'll look at cleric guides and bard guides to see which feats they feel work well for the class to see if there are any I overlooked or get ideas of what to take.
I generally use them as a means to learn a class. Pull up the guide and the SRD to look up feats/etc. when you're reading through the book. There's a whole lot of stuff to consider in this game, so just having had someone else do a read-through helps clarify and direct one's own exploration of the class.
Honestly, the last thing I want to do every time I sit down and try to understand a class I'm unfamiliar with is "read though all the feats and spells again."
I find guides very useful when unchaining classes I haven't had a chance to personally play yet.
I use them all the time, especially for newbies who are excited about a class, but would be hopeless at building a decent character of that class.
They allow new players to get right into playing whatever role they can imagine on the team, without have to learn the entire system in order to be able to evaluate the options available.
For this purpose, replicated material is perfect. I need a concise summary of the options in one small set of sheets to read.
I think guides are very useful, and use them when I need to make a quick NPC for a game I'm running so I can pick 'good' options that will make them an effective character without too much thought, or even helping me to remember a specific feat whose name I just can't quite remember. They've also helped me gain a better appreciation for mechanics and balance in Pathfinder, and of course they're a great place to point a new player if they want to better learn how to use their class.
That said...
I can understand the sentiment of homogenization, and there are some feat, trait and class combinations that are so ubiquitous it makes me want to scream (sacred tattoo fate's favored half-orc warpriests or fey foundling paladins anyone?). Of course it's to be understood that if something is so powerful it would be foolish to be passed over that it needs to be included, but I do sometimes worry that players see these as the 'only' options when going certain character routes.
Isn't being found in the wilds by fey a pre-req for paladin class? ;)
And if a half-orc is favored by the gods wouldn't he want a tattoo marking himself as blessed by the gods? And vice versa, maybe the gods like to bless them because of their sacred tattoos.
Strong combo's are prevalent because they are strong and strong choices would make for better adventurers, it would be nice if there was more options so that many things seemed good.
Homogenized builds don't bother me because only half my group knows the nuts and bolts of the system. I often work with the other three to build their characters and I always point them to guides. They don't know what's good in a class and what's a trap so I enjoy guides.
That said, I don't like the lack of updating. SO many classics don't include Ultimate Intrigue, the weapon/armor master handbooks, etc.
I've read pretty much all guides for the Core + APG classes and the Magus (since my groups don't really use the newer books). I think they are a great tool for people who want a quick summary of their option (quicker than going through all rule books and month of trial-and-error character deaths, anyway) when building a character.
If anything, I'd like MORE guides. Every guide is subjective and every player has his/her own view about all kinds of stuff. I remember reading two Arcane Trickster guides that basically were complete opposites of each other (one focusing on casting, the other on combat). Reading guides from different people will give you a deeper understanding of the things that are possible with different builds, archetypes and so on.
So yeah, big thanks to each and every writer an their effort!
I like them for figuring out how a class works and getting some advice but them I like to make my own experiments and also to pick some things just for flavor. I like my characters to work but not to pick everything just because it's optimal. I always put character concept first. Anyway I like the guides as they provide insight on the theories and mechanics of the class. I see them more as something theoretical than something to bring to play word by word.