I mean absent actually picking your forms like every other class in the game has the ability to choose their path (except IMMs pick shaman stuff, but even then, role can influence it and the IMM you pick narrows it down.

The argument against this I've heard is that everyone would choose the same form(s). At least there's be a lot of eagles, electric eels, etc. But, this seems like an admission that the forms are not balanced. And that argument would apply equally to legacies and weapon specs, yet warriors get to choose/customize.

The fact is that, yes, many shifter's delete over forms because they think that certain forms will make their character more enjoyable. Which means they will play more and invest in the char. What's the downside to that?