They didn't "gimp" everything, they made minor changes to several of the most irritating abilities ref Flamebolt, smoke, and Tripmines. As for bladedancer, you obviously haven't used it- it is just five, and I feel it is actually a little better now in a lot of ways. In addition to some minor changes to PvP, they actually made some enormous buffs for supers in PvE. As in, they made them feel SUPER. Awesome. Plus, the Sunsinger (a support class) now can actually support in PvE with their debuff ability. That sounds like an EXPANSION of abilities, not a "gimping" of them.

A 5% defense debuff turns 100 damage into 105 damage. Whoop-de-doo. Trying to stack more burns on top of that (typically via Radiance/Melee) is typically not worth the hassle. Double Fusion Grenades + Radiant Will can do a much more efficient job obliterating endgame enemies. Tripmines no longer sticking to enemies isn't that big of a deal, but they didn't deserve the damage nerf. Now Hunters are urged to babysit their tripmines so they can finish off enemies that have been damaged by them. They also aren't as effective in PvE now. Arc Blade also just needed its hit detection fixed. Punishing players so hard for missed swings was not needed. No, it is not an "expansion". Let's not kid ourselves. I love having unpopular opinions too, but you need to open your mind a little before you pick your battles.