Hey folks! What's better than having a party of optimized characters? Having a party of optimized characters that work well together! Let's look at the concept of T-shaped individuals and how they can help us create parties that are resilient, and can do anything.
I always hated groups who were like "we need a fighter, a rogue, and a wizard!" If you have half a brain and some creativity you can find ways around just about any situation. A good DM will also work with a party and not throw them into an impossible dungeon with a million expert locks with the insistance of," you should have brought a rogue!" or "you should have brought a wizard to identify this magical thing!"
That's true! The point I was trying to make was simply that players could also look left and right at the other members of their party when making their characters so that the entire group becomes more effective, rather than just optimizing on isolation. I remember treantmonk mentioning a story of a group of optimized characters facing a mindflayer. None of them had int save proficiency so one mindblast just rekt them.