[OnePlus 6T  Guides, News, & Discussion] Lithian42:
I Couldn't Agree Any More with You

I was going to share a post very similar to this one of these days sooner or later and you basically took the words right out of my mouth.

Back before I got the OP6T, I loved rooting and installing custom ROMs on my previous phones, all the way back from my Moto X (Original) Developer's Edition, to the LG Nexus 5X, and to the LG G6 (this one was a toughy), I enjoyed trying out different custom ROMs and seeing their unique features or customizability that they could bring to the table.

But with Oxygen OS, I just keep coming back to it! At first I couldn't quite place what it was exactly, but it's just as OP put it. The gestures (so nice. Fluid is a good alternative, but I don't think it quite compares to OP's nav gestures. Sure some customizability would be nice, but it just works.) The FP reader is kind of a big one and even though FP support was eventually brought to custom ROMs, they're still iffy and buggy. I thought at first I wouldn't mind them, and I didn't, but I just missed it in the end. With the nothing "just right" is what I agree with the most. OOS just feels something unlike other stock firmwares out there and it just feels smooth. One example is Nova Launcher. I've been such a huge fan of Nova for so long and the customizability is amazing, but the OnePlus launcher also replaces it for me! It all kind of "just works". For your point on going from custom ROM to OOS wipes everything, I've always accepted the fact that if I'm switching ROMs around, an easy mistake comes with a wipe, so I don't mind that. And with your fifth point, I think that's only because of us growing old of what seemed new or was more active while it existed. Newer updates for Android with security hinder modding and though we keep finding new ways to root and mod, it often just pushed developers away. Hopefully we'll see more innovation, but for the time being I do feel like it's in a state of limbo, or at least slowing down.

I will put in one more chance into AOSIP as people are saying, but right now, OOS with theOneOS, Magisk, Root, and EdXposed satisfy my needs.

I also see people asking OP what they seek in custom ROMs and from my point of view, I seek some originality and uniqueness. Something that persuades me to keep utilizing that ROM instead of pushing me away. I love customizing and ROMs like RR, Omni, BootLeggers are good examples but they lack a solid foundation of what they used to be. They're just cherry picked mods from other custom ROMs, or unofficial ports with stability improvements but that also comes rarely.

One more comment and to close it off: I'm a consumer. I believe that I definitely do know that I have an above average knowledge of how Android, modding, and all that works. I do know that it is hard work to code and create custom ROMs. I haven't personally contributed in doing anything because I simply don't have the time. I'd certainly try to if I did have the time, but I don't. It is appreciated for devs to release custom ROMs, but I feel like it is lacking. I don't mean any offense to anyone, and I hope people do respond in order for conversation or argument. I'd like to see what other people think.

TL;DR: OnePlus somehow just sucks me back into OOS in every way possible. Custom ROMs feel lacking.