I don’t think you can state that this early on - I wouldn’t doubt that there will be some covenants that aren’t represented in the more challenging raid bosses.
I’ve always considered how you setup your talents a choice - I would have the same opinion with covenants and the abilities.
I don’t understand how “calculating” things and making different decisions on how you setup your character isn’t making “choices” - it seems like it’s quite the opposite and is actually part of making thoughtful and meaningful choices. Players would have lots of choices available to them depending on what part of the game they’re playing and who they’re playing with.
The choice is in your aesthetics cosmetic rewards and story. At least it should be right now I don’t get to make a cosmetic choice but people like you want to punish those who want to be optimal.
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Seems like a lot of people won’t even get a meaningful choice out of the system. Most people I know are just going to look up what the pros are using and they’ll follow in suit.
Yup this will cause much less experimenting just because you can’t risk it due to difficulty in changing so it will be wait for the math then follow it.
Bad analogy. I own two of the same cars: same model, make, year, same extras, but one is silver and one is black. If I take one over the other, I don’t have to relearn anything.
Choices have consequences, but they don’t necessarily have to have punishments. And really, what one person considers a punishment can often be what another person considers a reward.
For the record, I’m going to pick the covenant with the ability I like the best. It’s going to suck if it’s a covenant that I hate the aesthetic of like Venthyr or Necrolords. I’m no min-maxer but I’d like to be able to pick the ability I like without dealing with ugly factions that I dislike. I’m not looking to change them at a drop of the hat depending on the content I’m running.
I just want to pick the ability I like while actually enjoying my choice.
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I mean I think while your case is valid - that isn’t what his analogy was trying to communicate. I think the most people don’t have 2 of the same car and that the analogy didn’t assume that was the case in question.
That being said - while he is accurate in there being some MINOR learning when you jump back in - it’s no where near to the extent that swapping back to a previously selected covenant would be. It’s more in line with just learning the CD of the new ability and where to best use it on every boss fight/dungeon.
Agree here. Various other people have also noted that there would still be consequences with a flexible system. You don’t get ALL abilities available for use all at the same time. When you pick one - you can’t use the other 3. This consequence exists in all cases. The point of contention is to what extent should this consequence exist.
On a “by-content” basis seems to make the most sense.
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I don’t understand how it’s not a choice.
You can pick an ability for any number of reasons - and all of them would lead to a choice the player would make. It doesn’t even need to be based on a strategic calculation. It can simply be to try something new to mix things up for this next M+ run.
RIP player agency. Devs are choosing to die on this hill. 
The conduits makes this even worse. People hated grinding relics in Legion - now they’ll have to grind Conduits in the same way.
This is the absolute worst reason to support a bad system
It’s only bad because you’re being punished.
To us it’s a good system specifically because you’re being punished.
Good/Bad are in the eye of the beholder.
It’s sadly becoming more and more common.
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Some people enjoy that others suffer.
It’s sad that Blizzard is designing a system that directly feeds this.
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Meaningful choices don’t have to be punishing choices.
Choosing certain talents for a particular affix(es) in M+ is meaningful, but not necessarily punishing.
And choices you can change at the drop of a hat aren’t meaningfully and they hardly count as meaningful. I understand the desire to be able to be the best at every given content in the game at a moments notice but it is clear this was not something Blizzard felt was a good thing.
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That’s your opinion.
Some people think that being able to make choices on a content by content basis can carry great meaning.
Making those choices also isn’t about being “the best at every given content” - in many cases it’s just part of a group strategy. It doesn’t make a single person the “best”, it just gives the group the ability to strategize.
Apparently it’s not just my opinion, as it is the one Blizzard has voiced as well.
That still isn’t what others consider a meaningful choice.
And yet, it is for others. We could go around and around, it doesn’t matter. All that does it where Blizzard lands upon this issue.