@Hansel, I totally get your concern. The reason the settlement system is becoming mandatory is because it’s the main feature in this upcoming Age. If they didn’t have something big to bring to the table, people would likely complain that the expansion felt underwhelming with no major new features.
I understand why you’d want the settlement system to be optional, giving each player full control over how their settlement operates, but that would diminish its impact as a core part of the new expansion. The main appeal is that it’s supposed to feel like a fully fleshed-out system that breathes life into the game. If they turned it into an optional feature, it might feel more like a minor tweak than a game-changing addition, which would cause others to feel like the update didn’t offer anything significant.
Maybe another option would be to implement a toggle for controlling the basic functions of thralls, like their movement and behaviors. I had an idea in the past, which I posted in an older post, for a Commander’s Table that could manage these features:
“More Immersive Thralls - All these features could be managed and controlled from a Commander’s Table, where all registered thralls are listed. Through this table, we could assign actions, such as training or patrolling, to our thralls within the kingdom. It would be wonderful to assign thralls to beds so they can sleep, move around, and interact with one another. Furthermore, allowing us to establish night patrols would enable some thralls to sleep during the day.”
With something like a Commander’s Table, there could be an on/off switch for thralls, toggling between “Alive” or “Statue,” which would allow players to stop thralls from moving and turn off the need system. That way, people who don’t like the new system could still enjoy the game as it was before, while others could dive into the new mechanics.
As for the crafting thralls, I can understand your hesitation about them not being “items” anymore. But, in my opinion, I’ve been wanting to change my crafter’s outfits for ages. I’m excited to finally see them as proper thralls, rather than just static items, and I fully support that change. However, if you prefer a more traditional system, maybe they could add a mannequin or statue option for crafting thralls, allowing players to dress them up but keep them static.
At the end of the day, opinions differ, and that’s okay. For me, I’m looking forward to having more dynamic thralls, and I think the new system adds a lot of immersion to the game!