I'm sad about the Covenants

[Furrymental-stormreaver]

@Furrymental-stormreaver

I’ve seen and talked to so many players now that made their choice, not for identity, but for performance and/or because a website told them what to pick.

@Phantomstout-stormrage

I disagree, I want to make difficult semi-permanent choices for my character. It’s what makes the choice meaningful to me.

I want to as well. But I don’t need the system to force all players into doing this for me to make that decision on my own.

Making covenants freely swappable takes nothing away from me, and forcing others to play how I like actually adds negativity to my gameplay because I know others are being punished when I don’t actually get any tangible benefit.

Just like how people can stay in relationships on their own accord, when they don’t have to. Just like how people can use hand tools and straight edge razors when everyone else can use power tools and disposable razors. Just like how people can grow their own fruits and vegetables when others don’t have to. The decision to restrict ourselves isn’t less meaningful because others can freely take a different path - it’s actually MORE meaningful.

I explained it better here:

@Furrymental-stormreaver

But as an RP-based player myself, I have a hard time understanding what benefit a “lock-in” based system provides for myself or for the game.

I feel like, as a casual RP player – I should support the “lock-in” approach. But I can’t understand why and what benefit I gain from a system like that. If I’m supporting a system that restricts others from playing the game how they’d like to play it, when there’s so many ways to play it, across classes with various roles- all so that…I gain nothing(???)… then I feel like I’m supporting a system that punishes other players that simply want to play the game more competitively than myself for no good reason outside of spite.

Even if there was a gain to be made by a player like me – at best it would make me feel bad and selfish about it. But without a benefit – it seems outright sadistic and hateful towards other players that just want to give their teammates/guildees their best. It’s supporting a system that punishes players for just wanting to play the game optimally – which is mind boggling to me.

If the system was changed to be flexible, and allow for players to change their covenant abilities like we can do with specs and talents – it wouldn’t take anything away from me for staying committed to a covenant. I would still have that option and don’t need to extend the consequences of that choice onto everyone else. As an RP player - I would lose NOTHING if others were allowed to change their abilities.

So for those that support the “lock-in” system, help me understand: Why should I ever want to impose such a restrictive system on others when it diminishes so much about the gameplay for them when I don’t even gain anything in exchange? And even if I did gain something…what would be worth it for that kind of penalty on so many others? Because I can’t come up with anything for either of those questions that doesn’t leave me feeling like a bad person.