I didn't have the chance to contribute in the controller issues thread, so I thought I might as well post my thoughts here, garnered after playing my mind and grav trollers, reading the manual, playing with other controllers and doing a lot of thinking. This is what I've come up with. The main thing is what makes a controller. For me, the main powers for a controller are the AoE hold and the pet. These are the really uber powers in the sets that really allow controllers to be good. So, if we take every controller and give them 1 'point' for every aoe hold and pet they have, we can see why gravity needs something.
Fire
Cinders=aoe hold=1 point
Flashfire+fire cages=aoe hold=1 point
Fire Imps=pet=1 point
total=3
Earth
Stalagmites+thermal vents+volcanic gases+earthquake+stone cages all put together roughly translates in 2 aoe holds=2 points
animate stone=pet=1 point
total=3
Ice
Glacier=aoe hold=1 point
Ice Slick+Flash Freeze+Shiver, arctic air, frostbite, etc roughly=aoe hold=1 point
Jack Frost=1 point
total=3
Illusion
Flash=aoe hold=1 point
Phantom Army=pet=1 point
Phantasm=pet=1 point
total=3
Mind
Total domination=aoe hold=1 point
Telekinesis+terrify+mass confusion+mass hypnosis=about 1.5 aoe holds and 1/2 a pet, so=2 points
total=3
Gravity (now here's the problem)
Gravity Distortion Field=aoe hold=1 point
Singularity=pet=1 point
total=2
So as you can see, most sets have a total of 3. Most have 2 aoe holds or various powers that equate to that, and one pet. illusion has only 1 hold but 2 pets, and mind has no pets but tons of holds. However, gravity has one aoe hold, one pet, and nothing else. It has its 3 starting single-target moves and an aoe immobilise, but where other sets have such useful powers as ice slick, phantom army, earthquake and the like, Ice gets measly old propel, dimension shift and that wierd teleporty thing. Sure dimension shift stops foes taking any action, but the whole point of a hold is to allow your mates to wail on the foe in peace. With DS, you can't do that. Therefore what I'd like to see would be a change to these 3 abilites, which I think most people consider pretty damn shabby anyhow. Cutting down on the animation time of propel, changing DS, and maybe making the wormhole thing an aoe could really turn this set around.
I do accept that the points system, aoe hold=1 point and pet=1 point is not perfect. Some pets are better than others, some holds are not really holds, but I still think it illustrates my point well enough, especially with the upcoming pet changes.
And yes, I know this is a tired old topic, and that States has made his comments and all that,but I'm just trying to help, to look at the problem in a different way and try and figure out what's wrong.
