True that this is a change, but I never felt that up to now. For me it is of no consequence. Also, it's lacking severely.
You can say that every click in the game is to get to the next scene, but this is bs. If it was so a collection of scenes would be as popular as FET.
No, the story is what makes FET entice feeling towards the charachters, giving meaning and therefore strength to the scenes.
I agree, but I think the main complaint of the other person - not me - is that the bending is not as connected to the main plot advancing anymore, while it was the main point of the start of it, and is what the Painted Lady is always reminding you of...
But to me it is just the hook, and we are supposed to join the mc in the current story. So the mc is not completelly focused on advancing, as long as he stills learns it by the end it is still following the original plotline. We are here for the full journey, not just the destination, so don't focus so much into it.
Also... kinda hard to make some plot point about a new person using air bending, the best uses story-wise need to have some proficiency already.
For now the plot is taking a different path, but ending in the same place.
Korra metal bending was never really relevant or important to the story.
Kuvira still is making the cannon and mech and Zhu and Verric also managed to run away from her.
So overall the story has the same big events but happening differently, which is pretty much the same with all the books.
Yeah, just like in Book 2 you basically either took over Fire in Slave or in Love could have either joined the Avatar and taken over Kuko's role until a bit after the end, or either escaped with Mai or co-ruled with Azula for a bit - until Zuko takes over again and presumably joins the avatar.
And Book 3, you basically created a village.
As long as your changes are not big enough they can't be turned into the canon ones with time passing and people mixing things up until...
at least after Kora's death so you would be one of the future Avatars, it is all ok.