Yes, with Floating ASI, everything is more of the same. This is reinforced by you later.
Without a layer for ASI consideration, you have "What race benefits my class most based on the 1 or 2 special rules a race gets."
Characters will be, objectively, more the same, because you can always optimize your ASI.
As opposed to being objectively more the same because you're always going for the same sort of race/class combo. Or even just being objectively more the same because all players playing the same class are going to end up with the same stats
anyway, since it maxes out at 20.
Plus, why are you ignoring the other five stats, the racial traits, the character's personality and background, and the way the player's plays them? Are you really trying to claim that every single aspect of a character needs to be entirely different from every other character out there? Hate to say it (there were undoubtaly lots of 3x tiefling paladins, since it's a common subversion of a common trope), but that's impossible, and also really dumb. Even if you give two people the exact same pregen character and they're going to play them differently.
Right. Its now 2 questions, instead of 3. There is no consideration, because you can always put your ASI wherever you want. That is 1 less thing to consider.
So why is that bad?
Exactly. Floating removes any tension,
What tension? You're using point buy or stat array! There's no tension in that; you already know what the results are, and it's immediately obvious where to place your best stats. The only question is where that 8 and 10 are going to be.
Now,
rolling creates tension. You have no idea what you're going to get. I've rolled up
plenty of stats where nothing was above a 12, or where half the rolls are below 5.
any counter balance, and simply you put your stats wherever you want.
Orc Lock?
Gnome Lock?
Elf Lock?
Tiefling Lock?
+2 Cha.
As opposed to the way that it
currently is, where everyone will be putting their highest roll in their main stat
anyway. With fixed ASIs,
everybody is going to have either a 15 or a 17. That's not actually interesting
or balancing.
Unless you're trying to tell me that you
never play race/class combos where you the race would give you a +2 in the class' prime stat...?
And again, why are orc fighters, tiefling warlocks, and halfling rogues not "same, same, same, same"?
I'm not saying anything is bad, but its certainly less fun (TO ME) because...
Yes, this is fun. You have entire websites dedicated to optimization, builds, analysis, and design.
So it's OK for
you to optimize, but not for other people to optimize a
different way.
It does exist though, and for those of us who enjoy it, its lessened now.
Because now you have to look at the
traits and
culture and think about something other than just the ASIs?