Here's the Classes and Specializations in the D&D Player's Handbook

[Oroboros]

Well, not exactly...

3.5 gave the ILLUSION of flexibility and options; what it really had were one or two viable choices for each concept buried in a deluge of trap options. Remember that an option that isn't worth taking isn't really an option at all.

5E customization is more straight forward and honest. If you want to make a good tank or a good archer, the game explicitly gives you the best choices right up front, whereas 3.5 is written to make these choices more ambiguous to reward hardcore players and punish newer and more casual players.

Why would a game NOT want to reward it's more hardcore players? That's fine if it's GURPS, or Hero, or even Pathfinder...a game that is explicitly for established gamers. D&D as the flagship title of the hobby, doesn't get to be THAT game. It's job is to be intuitive, welcoming and user-friendly.

3.5 had plenty of viable options, even without going outside of the player's handbooks. I don't agree that 3.5 punishes inexperienced players-it's pretty easy to figure out a decent character without venturing into the ancillary content-which is there for when you are more confident and understand the system better. 3.5 was pretty easy to get into for beginners IMO, but had plenty of customization options for those more experienced in the system.

BTW, D&D isn't exactly the industry flagship right now, and hasn't been for some time-Pathfinder is, and Pathfinder is based off of 3.5. I think that says plenty about how accessible the system is to newcomers.