This discussion is very similar to the discussion where the feature was originally added: With the new right gutter, where should "Reply as Linked Topic" go?
Can we talk about the problem a little more? the assumption is that making the button more obvious would result in more people deciding to start a new topic instead of replying to the existing one… but I’m not sure that’s true. Do most users even understand what a linked topic is to begin with?
Is there a better way to explain the benefits of a linked topic? Is there a certain threshold of activity where it might make sense to recommend a linked topic and explain why a little bit? I feel like education could have a greater impact than making the button stand out more. Making it a more obvious toggle might be a good idea, but I don’t think it’s going to change much unless we can confidently explain why anyone would use it to begin with.