Redcloak's reference to gaining a new level of spells and the bearded devils are two recent references to D&D. It hasn't gone away. The story comes first and that is fine with me, but the setting remains a world in which the D&D (3.5) rules apply and that gives good support to the story.

I do disagree about 4e superseding 3.5. Whilst WotC probably wished for that to happen, instead it has split the players. That is still a good reason to put less emphasis on the rules.