3.X/Pathfinder: Prestige Classes/Archetype System

[Lastgrasp]

What is everyones opinion on the Prestige Class being devalued in the pathfinder system? Do you like that paizo moved away from the Prestige Class bloat and beefed up the core/base/alternative classes to be more viable during their 20 level run. Do you like the archetype system? The ability to reflavor your class a bit so not every fighter is same.

[Psyren]

Big thumbs up from me on both. PrCs generally offer enough benefits on their own to stay attractive, and by their very nature they also encourage you not to waste time getting in as soon as possible. So to compete, the base class needs abilities that reward you for staying in as long as possible, i.e. abilities that scale with base class level.

Archetypes are also great, however I wish they were better balanced. They tend to fall into the same "no-brainer vs. trap" dichotomy that ACFs did in 3.5. For instance, Invulnerable Rager is so good that it's almost a no-brainer for most PF Barbarians (DR 10/- is a big deal) whereas Savage Barbarian is really meh by comparison.