No, there is no problem. You just don’t see that this is an MMORPG where you create a character and the choices you make are what makes your character unique, strengths and flaws. You want a game where your character is essentially a blank template in every situation, where you just pick and choose different tools for different challenges. That is called a MOBA, go play one…
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They completely change the playstyle of classes every expansion with all this borrowed power the only thing that remains the same is the name of the class.
Apparently that weight will be the chains they put on player freedom. What about the “Open” part of MMO?
There is no immersion in WoW, it’s a railroaded experience every expansion. It’s not immersive when you unlock flying, it’s just a rep grind for weeks after waiting a year.
WoW had a very fluid combat system in the past from the start of an expansion til the end. Not so much anymore, and since when was it a bad thing for a game to be fluid?
If the difference was 1% then the choice wouldn’t be meaningful, breaking your own criteria. But it has never been 1%. They couldn’t even get the balance that close on something as comparatively simple as two different weapon styles for DK’s (2h vs DW) or warriors (SMF vs TG)
And as I’ve said before, the active covenant abilities are the least problematic part of this whole system. The soulbind system is a balancing nightmare that makes Azerite look tame by comparison.
There is no strength in choosing D. It is strictly inferior to the others in every situation.
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Your character has never made choices all you do is pick up a quest, kill some boars, rifle through poop, and turn the quest in.
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Even without borrowed power they often drastically change the classes.
Shadow Priests, many of those I’ve talked to, want their Shadow Orbs back and for Insanity to go the way of the dodo.
Oh sweet summer child. You must not have payed attention to Blizzards idea of balancing.
Sarcasm aside if they achieve a 1% difference then they’ve won and any complaining isn’t warranted.
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I liked this game more when it was an RPG. I wish there was someway that they could have made choices meaningful without the min/max folks thinking they got a wedgie.
Personally, I am just going to ignore the numbers and pick what sounds coolest for my character. Hopefully, I won’t be the only one.
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Right, but I don’t think it used to be every spec, every expansion, some playstyles would remain similar and just some damage got moved around
<3
I know some genuinely like Voidform, but Voidforms entire issue stems from the fact it was designed specifically with the Legion artifact in mind. And even now, it’s being propped up with certain traits and essences. Without those things though, its dead in the water.
Anywho, that’s off topic. 
Don’t sweet summer child me. I’ve been around. Likely longer than you, so I’m fully aware of Blizzards track record. I just think it’s silly for people to go completely nuts this early when it’s clear they have already made more of an effort this Alpha than any other in terms of communication and feedback.
I’ve openly admitted, in this thread even, that Blizzard has put themselves in a tricky situation with Covenants of Soulbinds. It absolutely has the potential to make it to live in a horrible state. But it also has potential to be something truly unique and engaging, the likes of which we haven’t seen before. So I’m withholding judgement until we know more. But some people just want to scream the sky is falling nonstop, over everything.
Rabble rabble? Rabble raa rabble! RAABLE RAAA! There, you’ve been fed for the night, sleep well you rascally troll you :3
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Wait, what? This has nothing to do with free speech because you don’t have a right to free speech here. God I need another beer…
I would say that for about half the specs in the game sadly.
You and I have very different views about WoW and its RPG elements. You use pessimism and apathy to “prove” your points but I see right through them.
No, classes don’t completely change from expac to expac. A mage has never been a hard hitting melee character with high durability like a DK. A warrior has never been a squishy character that stealths around like a Rogue. Some tweeks and modifications might happen but I have ALWAYS recognized the themes classes have had since the beginning of the game. That @#%^ doesn’t fly with me.
Whatever point your trying to make with your “Open” comment is nonsensical. Open is not a word in MMORPG.
There is immersion for me, speak for yourself. People like you have been killing that immersion for the sake of convenience since day 1. Please stop.
The “fluid combat system” issue is completely irrelevant to this conversation.
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Yeah look dude this isn’t an RPG, this is an MMORPG
They’re forced to live with in each other’s boundaries, if you pay attention to one with out the other it creates problems
Having a meaningful choice impacts player build freedom and honestly i don’t want the game built around another system like that as it’s never worked in the past
I’ve also never seen a game lock class abilities into a system where you can ever get another ability in all my time playing mmos
I assume that’s because most people scrap the idea on the floor instantly
This is a fire and forget choice, once we’ve made it the only time we will ever think about it is when we are triggered about wanting to try something new
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Sweet fall child?
To an extent, maybe. But Shadow literally doesn’t work without Chorus of Insanity, Spiteful Apparitions and Whispers of the Damned(or even Death Throes stacking for some M+ weeks in higher keys). Likewise, it depends on Memory of Lucid Dreams and Blood of the Enemy quite a bit. Without those, Voidform literally does not work.
Anywho, resume! (I love my Shadow Priest so I can’t help but comment about it)
Sigh. Maiev should’ve kept you locked up.
Personally think that part of the issue is that Blizzard has a track record of releasing Alpha and Beta and hearing the feedback but ignoring the community requests. I’m not freaking out over it personally but it’s another external system tied to power progression that they intend to make difficult to reenter upon abandoning.
If they fail in balancing and there’s a massive difference between the Covenants and Blizzard then nerfs them and buffs others, it’s gonna cause a lot of upset.
Also new to the thread and don’t really want to read the whole thing. But I know it’s a little annoying to have to repeat yourself constantly so sorry for missing that part 
Actually I wanted to go back but the wardens said Oh HELLS NO
If this happens it’s going to be ungly as hell…
Oh I understand. And I’m tired of all the borrowed power. WoD perks from leveling should’ve stayed. But past that, Artifacts, now Azerite Armor and Essences, and soon Covenants and Soulbinds. Borrowed Power is bad since every future expansion feels insanely horrible once we lose those things. I’d much prefer to just go back to getting a new ability or two each expansion, or perhaps a new talent row. Or hell, do more WoD perks while leveling so we get something.
This is definitely a possibility. And I know that given Blizzards record, a lot of people automatically have nothing but negative opinions. But like I said, it does hold a lot of potential, assuming Blizzard can pull it off. But its definitely a tricky spot they’ve put themselves in.
I dunno, I just…I get the complaints. Some are valid, some are unfounded. And I know the meme of “It’s only Alpha, It’s only Beta, blah blah” exists. I still think it’s just a bit early to go full panic mode, like some folks are.