[Cuchulain82]

In my opinion Prestiege classes are actually much better than kits. Kits were a pnp way of dealing with the fact that a 2nd ed fighter was always most powerful, statistically, when weilding a longsword and longbow. But they becamse a little silly in my opinion- did anyone actually play a Meistersinger bard, or how about a Naturalist Druid? Plus there wasn't much guidance about kits- for a long time when we were playing the players in my group thought that for every class you advanced in, you could have a kit as well. So, for a while when I was a fighter/druid, I think I was a Shapeshifter/ Gladiator- not too much roleplaying sense in those decisions, but we couldn't find any rules that said otherwise, so I gave it a try.

(as an aside, the gladiator kit didn't workout- it was quickly and mercifully dropped)

Kits did give some cool powers (ie- Shapeshifter druid, Templar, or Cleric of Tempus just to name a few) but prestige classes accomplish the same things and are much more logical. Plus, much like 3.5 in general, prestiege classes allow for better interaction between classes; Paladins can be mystics, monks can be shadowwalkers... as long as you qualify. It keeps things much more dynamic.