It wasn't that there were useless combinations - it was more that specific combinations were SO necessary or powerful that you really didn't have much of a choice. You HAD to sub ninja for shadows. You HAD to sub warrior for provoke. You HAD to sub whm for cleanses. I agree that a system that uses more hybrid, cross-class skills is the wrong direction to go in. Classes need to stand on their own and NOT be defined by a skill from another class. It's one reason I'm so against provoke being a level 22 Gladiator skill. EVERY tank needs their OWN taunt. It's little things like that which give the ILLUSION of choice and "customization", but in reality it just locks you into the same cookie-cutter build EVERYONE has because you can't get what you need from your own class.