How exactly? Can you explain how is making their own choices is better then going with a meta build?
And plus, what if their choices lead them to that meta build to begin with, i mean what happens? Is he a bad player by default in your eyes cause he still ended up with a meta build?
You do know a player can do both right? They can have a passion for and love playing a class and play the meta to improve. Playing the meta is a choice that player can make. In fact, playing the meta, especially when that meta changes can help them improve more because it teaches them to be adaptive. Instead of slavishly sticking to a sub optimal build simply because it’s what they chose.
I think the biggest problem is they said they going to make it difficult to switch covenants, so if you’ve selected the wrong one, or decided to switch it’s not going to be easy.
I think yes you should select a covenant, but have the ability to switch once a week, so you aren’t locked in.
Edit: just makes it easier, and for those who exclusively play the games for mogs easier for them too, I’d be happy knowing if I went Ardenweald first and then thought, no this isn’t for me I can switch.
Or you can do both? There is nothing stopping you from improving in the game while playing the optimal build. Again wow is a team game, you are not only gimping your self but the whole group/raid by playing a sub optimal build, when the difference can be up to 30% less damage.
Honestly, i don’t see that as an issue at all. That’s just me though.
Why are you so constantly triggered by players choosing to min / max?
It’s like you’re too lazy to do your own research and instead of reading guides and theory discussions, you’d rather handicap min / maxers to not make yourself look so terrible.
Again we go back to my example.
Meta build has a cap of 100 damage
A more fun yet sub optimal build has a cap of 90 damage.
Unskilled person playing meta build reaches 60-70
Skilled person playing sub optimal reaches 80-85
The bad player even though is using the meta build is gimping others by being less skilled(and often dying or failing mechanics)
That is my main point, most players will NEVER reach the cap damage of the meta build and they don’t need it, their lack of skill is what causing the wipes, not the person who performs better in a sub optimal build which leads to hilarious moments like the person with the underperforming spec(based on community perceptions) being top damage at times.
There is no gimping yourself when you are never going to reach the max potential of a meta build
I understand but I know some people will pick the wrong one for whatever reason, just a little quality of life change might help put people’s mind at ease.
I know, i’m not opposed of that either. A Slow switch process would honestly be enough for me and other people, cause it should be a big decision without locking choices… etc, etc. i explained it at one of my comments that i’l link here. 
This model leaves zero room for solo play, and if you think you can alienate solo players in this game and have the game itself survive, then you are smoking the dankest of herbs.
Time For a Singalong! Join in if you know the words!
It’s just alpha, stop worrying~
It’s beta, you can’t expect everything to be perfect!
Launch is always rough, you should know by now!
I’m sure they’ll be getting right to fixing the power imbalance by x.1
Ok they told us they hear us about how bad the power imbalance is! x.2 will be the fix!
Alright so it didn’t turn out how they wanted, I guess we can hope for better in the next expansion!
But that’s what I’m getting at, talent choices became a an easy switch for QoL, being locked in and stuff isn’t what a majority want that’s why they made the changes… people done like being locked in or pay a fortune to switch.
If people were ok with it they would of never changed it.
But that is a unreasonable example, you can check logs and stat to see the difference between specs is a lot higher than 10%. Also the meta build at the moment dont only do more damage they are a lot easier to play.
You do not improve in a game if you don’t understand and personally make the build choices.
]there is a huge difference between understanding and following, creators of builds understand the class and why x talent choice was made, followers don’t not.
Understanding leads to also better performance since you know when to do what and when not to.
A perfect recent example was Scripe bursting out at some idiots telling him to use immolate during his Torghast run, Scripe as a person who knew his class knew that 1) He is already overcapping at shards due to million infernal anima power 2) immolate damage is irrelevant at higher torghast levels.
The bad players read a guide that told them “never let immolate fall or you are bad”, then they took this and started worshiping it and started attacking any heretics that might now worship the same.
Meanwhile people who care about their class and enjoy it would know when to use it and when it isnt as useful and when it isnt worth using, they are not bound by a guide.
It is like those people looking up the rotation instead of figuring it out themselves, WoW is not some ultra complicated game, the right rotation is easy to figure out for the most part and that is what I do when I start playing any class, and then it goes down to tiny details like is it worth to use rapid fire after the first aim shot before activating trueshot to get the haste buff from in the rhythm or not, and that is something I ll figure out myself without reading a guide.
And your example is saying “this is an MMORPG”.
I agree, it is an MMORPG. Massive Multiplayer Online Role Playing Game.
It’s a Role Playing Game designed with thousands of players at one time and has modes in the game that are designed for solo and group play, and the express proposes of group play is to cooperation. In communication and gameplay, even in builds and even more so in higher difficulties.
I don’t like being locked in either. I think the switch idea of mind could be a good compromise between the two, but that’s just me.
Night fae or vampires.
Other two suck.
Hey the edgy necrolord mail mog is superb and the whole aesthetic is great!!
First of all you don’t speak for everyone. The only person you speak for is yourself so own it instead of trying to hide behind an invented crowd.
Second of all, this is a video game, not my grandchild’s education, so the only potential I want to maximize is my fun, so wrong!
What?
Maybe that is the point for you but it certainly isn’t the point for me. The point for me is to have fun. When playing my shadow priest proved to be uninteresting, I tested her as a holy priest, loved the play and she is now my highest level character because I play her so much. And guess what? According to wowhead, shadow is what is ‘optimal’. Oh well.
It’s a video game; if it’s not fun, it’s not optimal.
Solo player here and if you really believe this, you have no idea how solo play works.
But regardless, this is a MMORPG (which solo players know and accept or they wouldn’t be playing it) so solo play shouldn’t even be a consideration.
And again, try owning your opinion instead of hiding behind an invented crowd.
Personally making a choice does not make you understand it better. People are capable of looking at an optimal meta guide and learning from it.
Following does not preclude one from understanding.
And they can learn that understanding by following those who came before them.
You seem to not be able to separate the concept of follower and ignorance. These are not the same things. A person can follow and understand and grow and learn and improve. The ignorant will always be so whether they follow or not until they choose not to be.