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I don't understand the disparity between the power levels of the different traditions of Wizard, how it came about, and why it needs to be there. I'm hoping that I'm misinterpreting the rules as described.

Scholar:  4 cantrips, 1 extra spell/spell level prepared, 4 first level spells to start, 2 spells learned/level, ability to cast rituals.

Evoker:  3 cantrips, 3 first level spells to start, 1 spell learned/level, energy substitution to one type, allied protection to area effect spells, resistance to one elemental damage type.

Illusionist:  3 cantrips, 3 first level spells to start, Increased DC to illusion spells, advantage to detect illusions.

So, on paper, the scholar and evoker look pretty much even, while the illusionist is nerfed. Here are the things that I don't like.

1) Why can't all spellcasters cast rituals? Something mechanical, not "you spent too much time trying to figure out how to cast snowball from fireball". For balance, I get that being able to have special abilities (energy sub, etc) is pretty nice, but c'mon! The wizard lives and dies by his spells and the scholar can cast any ritual he knows whenever he wants.

2) Spell selection disparity. Uh, I don't understand this one at all. Why can the scholar learn more spells and prepare more spells than everyone else? If they get the ability to cast rituals willy-nilly, and we assume that feature balances the increase to illusion DC's and adv to detect them, then why wouldn't the other specialist classes not get something like this as well? I get the idea of "your intense study of a broad range of magic ,blah, blah, blah", but if you're going to tell me that a specialist, like an evoker or illusionist, has studied less intensely, then I'd hazzard to call you out to a spell duel. More spells per level learned makes perfect sense, but do they really need to be able to prep more too? If so, then what balances that extra spell out, machanically or story-wise, with the fact that the Evoker can't prep an additional evocation spell/spell level, or learn 1 spell + 1 evocation spell per level?

Correction: The energy substitution thing was a feat that anyone could take.

I'm unsure what your reasoning is behind "the scholar tradition doesn't need to exist". I think that there's a good place for it, I just don't like the fact that it's currently overshadowing the other specialists

You can't cast a second spell at the higher levels, but you can prepare a second spell and choose which one you'd rather cast.

I like the fact that you can have a generalist wizard, but really, I also think that the balancing act between the different flavors of wizard should feel more like different flavors. Your illusionist is going to be a totally different caster than your evoker would be, just like the generalist should be different from a necromancer. I love the ability to exclude people from an attack spell, because it really captures the feeling of having mastery over your chosen specialty.  Giving the Illusionist better mastery over peoples minds (raising the DC of illusion spells) seems appropriate as well. If the generalist only got the additional ability to cast rituals I think that would be okay, but I think that coupling that with more spells/level and more prepared spells/level is too big of a jump.

Actually, if the traditions were done so that the generalist could cast rituals, the evoker could have the elemental resistance and spell exclusion, and the illusionist his increased DC and advantage to detect illusions, period, then that would work for me. In addition, I think that all wizards should be able to have at least one spell per spell level prepared for free. The generalist could chose any spell he knew; the specialists only a spell of their school. Then let them all have the same PC level +1 additional spells prepared. I like that a lot better. Comments?