Do we need New powersets?

*Warning: Long Post*

I can’t remember if I suggested this in the past because I tend to play games in ‘spurts’ over time and it’s been a while since I was on here.

Tl;dr ver: Instead of making new powersets with 9 powers, add the core of the set to an existing powerset.

There have been suggestions for more powersets, pool powers and the like since forever. However, some powerset/pool ideas seem too specialized (not general enough concept) or difficult to stretch across 9 whole powers for a complete set. That isn’t to say we don’t need new sets like Growing/Shrinking, Dual Pistols and Psionic Weaponry but we can get by without whole sets for Pulse Rifle, Street Fighting and Kinetic Armor. So now that we have VEATs and expanded epic pools with color customization on the horizon, why not expand the current sets we have with the new powerset ideas. Prime example:

Street Fighting/Brawling Set- I never thought this idea was very good for a powerset. Players just want the set because they want a punching version of Martial Arts. I know it’s been suggested before but it should now be possible to amend Martial arts with punching powers that are mutually exclusive to similar kick powers. Ex example:

Lightning Jab (tier1 low dmg/fast rech punch; chance of disorient)
Hurricane Combo (tier 2 moderate dmg/fast rech 1-2-3-punch; higher chance to crit)
Bone Crush (tier3 high dmg/moderate rech elbow; foe immobilize/slow)
Backhand ( tier8 high dmg/long rech cone backhand fist; foe knockdown)
Phoenix Uppercut (tier 9 extreme dmg/long rech fast animating uppercut; higher chance to crit; foe knockup)

You don’t need another taunt, you don’t need another build up and you don’t need another utility control (Cobra Strike), so instead of making a new set with 9 powers, you can get away with just creating 4-6 new powers and adding it to Martial arts. For those with the concept of a punchy brawler, there are 5 powers here + taunt/buildup + Cobra Strike. For the kickers, Martial Arts is still full of them. For those that want to use hands and feet, they can mix and match what attacks they want, taking Lightning Jab, Storm Kick, Crippling Axe Kick, Dragon Tail and Phoenix Uppercut. However you couldn’t choose Lightning Jab and Thunder Kick or Bone Crush and Crippling Axe Kick or Phoenix Uppercut and Eagles Claw. Picking one greys out the other.


To further discuss the idea, you can create niche powers that are too specialized a concept to warrant a new set. Example:

I’ve seen suggestions for grenade blast and requests for pulse rifle sets. Instead of making 18 powers for those 2 sets, you can shave that down to 10 by adding the powers as branching amendments to Assault Rifle. Ex example:

Grenade Blast = (weak ST blast, moderate AoE, strong AoE, nuke)
Pulse Rifle = (weak ST blast, medium ST blast, moderate Cone, snipe, strong ST blast, nuke)

Assault Rifle has a grenade attack already and pulse rifle already has 3 of those attacks from MM.

Anyone who picks assault rifle set can now create a grenadier using the 5 grenade powers + beanbag + burn + flamethrower (if they desire), a pulse rifler with the 6 PR powers + burn + flamethrower or create a mix bag of a little of all of each. Several things would come of this:

-More concepts fulfilled
-Varied damage (no complaints of lethal dmg if the options are there)
-Greater customization (now you can choose out of different animations)
-Customized Playstyle (maybe you don’t like the cone nuke of Full Auto so you can pick grenade’s ranged targeted nuke Plasma Detonator)


Lastly, the powers that are too specialized to possible stretch over 9 powers. Example:

So many people bagged on the Optic Blast set suggested a while back because of this. The set didn’t seem so bad to me but it was stretching the concept a bit, if you ask me. You could create replacements for the 1st 3 tier attacks, a strong mid tier attack and some kind of nuke (4-5 powers) and attach it to energy blast.

There are other examples I remembered as I was typing this, like similar sets (2-handed big freakin’ sword set attached to Broadsword), sets with similar concepts but different effects (Iaido katana set with sword drawing attacks) or sets with similar animations but perhaps different effect and perhaps 1-3 attacks with unique animations (staff, spear, pike/halberd, scythe have some similar movements but different ways of handling them as well as different dmg types but could all be 1 set with multi-branches). Oh, and I’ve always wanted a frickin lazer beam attack that fries anyone in its path (only 1 power and stick it on Radiation blast).

This idea works so well, the only problem I can possible see with this is there may be difficulties with balancing…but Castle & co have been normalizing a lot of the sets currently so this could be worked on too.

I want completely new powersets not some half-arsed sets cobbled together from already existing powers.

On the contrary, while new sets would be nice and they should add more full sets, this would be a decent way to please several people's demands with fewer needed resources.

I think as the next step after changing the colors of our powers they should let us change animations, they could just have multiple animations the same length for different power, for example they could give all the martial arts powers alternate punch animations instead of kicks, they would all be the same animation length to keep the powers the same.

Not sure if the pulse rifle example would really work this way though, would be weird have the pulse rifle graphics and do lethal damage.

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On the contrary, while new sets would be nice and they should add more full sets, this would be a decent way to please several people's demands with fewer needed resources.

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I'm not denying that, nor am I saying the idea is bad. You'll notice I didn't /unsign it. I'm just voicing my preference for completely new sets.

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I want completely new powersets not some half-arsed sets cobbled together from already existing powers.

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You must have read the tl;dr section. To clarify, I am not suggesting half-arsed sets cobbled together from already existing powers. I'm suggesting completely new powers that could be a new set but only 4-6 powers instead of 9 be attached to existing sets. Read the first example (Street Fighting Set).

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On the contrary, while new sets would be nice and they should add more full sets, this would be a decent way to please several people's demands with fewer needed resources.

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Exactly. New sets are still needed (I've been waiting on a Staff Melee set) but there are powers that may never even be on the drawing board because of the 9-powers requirement of sets.

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I think as the next step after changing the colors of our powers they should let us change animations, they could just have multiple animations the same length for different power, for example they could give all the martial arts powers alternate punch animations instead of kicks, they would all be the same animation length to keep the powers the same.

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That's kind of what I'm suggesting but one step further. This also incorporates a kind of playstyle customization too. A thread on this board is talking about an alternative power to Dark Armor's tier9 rez. Not replacing it but giving you the option because some like the rez while others might like something else.

So if they added a punch tier9 to martial arts, perhaps it can be quick animating just for those that don't like the slow matrix kick from current martial arts. To balance it, maybe it does slightly less damage and looses its extra chance to crit.

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I think as the next step after changing the colors of our powers they should let us change animations, they could just have multiple animations the same length for different power, for example they could give all the martial arts powers alternate punch animations instead of kicks, they would all be the same animation length to keep the powers the same.

Not sure if the pulse rifle example would really work this way though, would be weird have the pulse rifle graphics and do lethal damage.

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Giving you the option to change the animations is probably not feasible with the current game engine. I could see it being possible to include if they coded it into the game from the very begining.

It would be a huge undertaking to start now and we wouldn't see the results for a long time. It is possible that if they could be working on it already which would mean we'd see it sooner but they rarely if ever confirm they are working on anything.

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Street Fighting/Brawling Set- I never thought this idea was very good for a powerset. Players just want the set because they want a punching version of Martial Arts.

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You're getting the reasoning of most people who want this set wrong.

Most people want a Brawling/Street Fighting set because it is the single most common ability used in every comic book known to exist.

Spider-Man is a brawler that happens to be acrobatic, people have argued that he is Super Strength, but I disagree. He IS exceptionally strong, I won't argue that. But two of the powers in Super Strength he is simply not capable of. Those being Hand Clap and Foot Stomp. He is super strong, but not to that degree.

Daredevil is also an acrobatic brawler.

Batman is a classic example of a brawler. He only recently has been written as having martial arts training. Historically, since the 40's, he has been depicted as an exceptionally skilled boxer/brawler. That was mostly because when he was created the American public was largely unaware of Eastern combat techniques.

Captain America would be a Street Fighting/Shield Defense scrapper. His basic training was 1930's and 40's American military training. Hand to hand combat was mostly brawling, with a few tricks thrown in (also known as dirty fighting)

Cyclops is a brawler as well. His powers don't give him any advantage as far as his physical ability is concerned. If he cannot use his optic blast for some reason he resorts to brawling and fighting dirty.

All of the Watchmen except Dr. Manhatten are brawlers.

Any character that is technology based will use street fighting if they are deprived of their technological advantage, provided they are not trained to function without it. Iron Man comes to mind here. Tony Stark does not have a great deal of fighting ability without his armor.

People want a Street Fighting/Brawling set more because of it's prevalence in comic books and popular culture than anything else.

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Street Fighting/Brawling Set- I never thought this idea was very good for a powerset. Players just want the set because they want a punching version of Martial Arts.

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You're getting the reasoning of most people who want this set wrong.

<lots of good reasons cut>

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Not to mention, it works a lot better for 'yeah, I just started regenerating one day and decided to fight crime!' type characters a lot more than martial arts.

Masterminds need new powersets. Demons will be nice but 2 or 3 more would be great.

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Street Fighting/Brawling Set- I never thought this idea was very good for a powerset. Players just want the set because they want a punching version of Martial Arts.

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You're getting the reasoning of most people who want this set wrong.
<lots of good reasons cut>

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Not to mention, it works a lot better for 'yeah, I just started regenerating one day and decided to fight crime!' type characters a lot more than martial arts.

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I have to go with this train of thought. Asserting that people want streetfighting because they want a punching version of Martial Arts is a really bad basis for starting an argument over, on the same level as claiming that people want dual handguns because they want to play Assault Rifle, but without the rifle, or that, or that people want size changing as a powerset because they want to play Super Strength, but with less emphasis on strength.

The reason people want a Street Fighting set is because brawling/boxing is very much the default for any hero not specifically going for another theme, such as super martial arts, energy fists, turning to stone and so forth. Not merely functional Martial Arts, but with punches instead of kicks, but an actual set designed from the ground up with the theme of brawling in mind.

Practically speaking, you can't turn one powerset into another via power customization. You could possibly switch elements, but you're not going to turn Super Strength into Dual Blades. You have the whole AT's power structure to contend with, as well as animation length that new powers have to conform to. You also have to worry about the powerset's theme being one thing and you trying to turn it into another. Even if Martial Arts gained punches, it wouldn't turn it into a brawling set. There are plenty of martial arts that emphasise punches over kicks, and a mostly-punching martial art isn't any less a martial art than a mostly kicking one. Just in the same way as switching from the Omnigun to the M4 to the Council rifle doesn't change the fact that you're firing a rifle. You can't turn the set into archery, handguns, hand grenades or whatever else you can think of.

We need new powersets because new themes deserve their own powerset.

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Originally Posted by Arcanaville Samuel_Tow is the only poster that makes me want to punch him in the head more often when I'm agreeing with him than when I'm disagreeing with him.

Martial Arts has always screamed Chun-Li, Bruce Lee and maybe even Lui Kang to me. It never gave me the "Urban kid with no home, that was forced to learn to fend for himself on the mean streets" feel.

I also agree with the OP, adding a branching set to the martial arts set would be a great addition without having to revamp an entire new powerset, yet still giving players choice and depth to their build.

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Most people want a Brawling/Street Fighting set because it is the single most common ability used in every comic book known to exist.

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Right. And common abilities are usually available to everyone, like in pool powers. You list a bunch of heroes that punch people down but for some that isn't particularly their primary abilities (Cyclops? He's a blaster >.> if he punches stuff is because he took boxing and stuff from pools).

I believe the devs were flawed when they made martial arts and filled it with kicks but what is done is done. Should they make a punching equivalent for all the examples you listed? It'd be nice but I forsee the same problem. People will be like "This set only has punches, why not throw a kick every now and then?"

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Not to mention, it works a lot better for 'yeah, I just started regenerating one day and decided to fight crime!' type characters a lot more than martial arts.

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Nit pick.

If you started regenerating one day and decided to go out and bust heads, do you think you'll be better at it than a guy who trained in fighting for his whole life? Go pick up some pool powers =P

I missed your post Sam...

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We need new powersets because new themes deserve their own powerset.

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Of course, and I agree. There are structures for powers that will not fit into the structures/concepts of powersets we already have. But there is leeway in powersets to fit powers that go in a specific direction. For example, someone suggested a grenade blast set that was AoE focused on these boards probably a few pages back. But lookie, Assault Rifle blast already has a grenade in it. What's stopping the conceptual transition from an assault rifle that fires bullets and an assault rifle that launches grenades?

But yes, I totally agree and I fear my idea is completely worthless BECAUSE the devs wouldn't bother working on new powers UNLESS it was a new theme deserving of an entire powerset.

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The reason people want a Street Fighting set is because brawling/boxing is very much the default for any hero not specifically going for another theme, such as super martial arts, energy fists, turning to stone and so forth.

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I'm sorry, you have to explain that one to me. I don't understand. What do you mean by default? When they run out of powers and have nothing left they use their fist?

This plus new sets, I like it because different combinations can be made having multiple pseudo sets. Being that different powers can be chosen, but not really being of different sets.

Just on the Martial Arts/Street combination are 25 different combinations being if all tiers of the set were chosen. That's alot more costomization that can be achieved than by just creating new sets.

Now if there was only a way of combining unlike sets while still being balanced. Katana/Martial Arts, Mind Control/Ice Control, Robots/Mercenaries, etc. Probably unlikely. It would bring character customization to a whole new plane.

I was totally expecting to hate this idea, but I actually think it is a very good one. Also, I would argue we could have both... add in the punches to MA and then give us a set like Electric Control, the best of both worlds: new powersets and amended versions of sets we all love!

Thanks, much appreciated.

And I also finally noticed something. The title of the thread says 'new' powersets which would imply taking old powers to create new sets.

What I actually meant is new 'powersets' which would imply new powers that aren't actually sets themselves.

Woops

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I'm sorry, you have to explain that one to me. I don't understand. What do you mean by default? When they run out of powers and have nothing left they use their fist?

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Basically, when someone's fighting ability isn't the result of some refined form of martial arts, specific and overwhelming super strength or derivative of the manipulation of some kind of element, it's this. Brawling is what people who have a super power, but not a specific fighting style will use, and eventually that itself can turn into a fighting style all of its own.

You also have "comic book logic" as well as "game logic" to contend with. Martial arts, as viewed through the above, represent the ability to do crazy stunts and be really, really fast, but not all that strong, because if you're strong and heavy... Then it's not martial arts. The opposite end of the spectrum is the hideously exaggerated HULK SMASH!!! version of super strength, where you rely on your strength and NO technique whatsoever. There is literally nothing inbetween.

No matter what you do with Martial Arts, it will remain a set of fast, accurate hits that has you prancing around and going "Hai-yah!" It's what the theme demands. A Brawling set, on the other hand, is an entirely different theme altogether. I actually had a suggestion of a Brawling set that used a combination of the less glamorous, more pragmatic attacks we already have and relying on multi-hit powers. Say one could be pom-pom-less Barrage followed by Kick, while the other could left-hand Jab, right-hand Jab, Brawl.

A brawling set is a theme unto itself. Where martial arts rely on knowledge, technique and lots and lots of training to build the martial art into your subconscious, brawling is pretty much making it up as you go, and something comprised of much less flashy, much more direct punches, kicks, elbows, knees, headbutts and so forth, with perhaps a pinch of super strength thrown in.

Like I said, there ARE martial arts that are pretty much just that, but in this game universe, "martial arts" means something specific and rather unrealistic. And it's cool because of it

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Originally Posted by Arcanaville Samuel_Tow is the only poster that makes me want to punch him in the head more often when I'm agreeing with him than when I'm disagreeing with him.

For a natural, non-powered human character Martial Arts is even stretching it a bit.

It is feasible to perform a maneuver similar to Eagle's Claw, but the slow motion part of it is impossible. A highly trained, extremely acrobatic martial artist (Tony Jaa comes to mind) could perform a jump kick and push off their target into a backflip, but it would be a very quick motion.

The only power in Martial Arts I could see making its way into a Street Fighting or Brawling set is Crane Kick. I can personally perform a side kick that looks similar to that and I am completely untrained, everything else in MA is beyond me. Even Thunder Kick, you need to train for a while before you can kick that high without losing your balance or pulling a hamstring.

I'd like to see something like this:

Tier 1) 1-2 Punch - Barrage animation without the pompoms.

Tier 2) Gut Shot - Smite animation, small chance of immobilize due to the wind being knocked out of them.

Tier 3) Head Butt - New animation, Good chance of disorient.

Tier 4) Build Up - Do I need to explain this one?

Tier 5) Throw Sand/Dust - A dirty trick used to temporarily blind your opponent. -Perception, To-Hit debuff, small chance to disorient. Backhand throw, like Char and Spectral Wounds.

Tier 6) Confront - Gotta have it in there somewhere. 2 handed "Come get some" animation.

Tier 7) Side Kick - Crane Kick renamed. Functionally identical.

Tier 8) Some kind of AoE - Really, really, really don't want to use the Whirling-Everything-Under-the-Sun animation here, and Dragon's Tail isn't very appropriate to an untrained brawler.

Tier 9) Monster Uppercut - I'd like to have this with the KO Blow animation with the "windup" removed. Just a slow, powerful uppercut with a mag 3 stun. Maybe knockup as well. (Edit: maybe the "baseball pitch" amimation used for Impale instead, described as a powerful overhand punch)

You can fill it out some more with pool powers, Jab, Kick, and Air Superiority would fit nicely and wouldn't recycle any animations. Mostly animations that already exist in the game already, would just need to balance them around other melee sets.

I agree with most of what you said, especially the part about the current themes of SS and MA but...

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No matter what you do with Martial Arts, it will remain a set of fast, accurate hits that has you prancing around and going "Hai-yah!" It's what the theme demands.

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I do not see anywhere where it says that or that the status quo is set in stone and set themes are clearly defined as being just one thing and will only ever be one thing. That's just not how the game works and new changes will move further from that with power color customization.

Another argument I present to you:

Did you actually want dual blades? I didn't vote for it, I wanted energy blade (Jedis, son!) and psionic weaponry. Too late now and we have it and it's cool so it's alright...but I really would have wanted psionic weaponry because I could make more concepts vs a person that just uses 2 weapons.

Now if they make a Brawling set, it's alright and I'm sure it be cool but it's in the same category as dual blades, IMO. A niche set that does what current sets do (i.e. swords that cut and pummeling strikes with the body). So why not endorse other similar sets like magic wand (energy projectiles), utility belt manipulation (grab bag of gadgets), flying surfboard pool (flight), etc.

I'll just say this: For current powersets, it can be lots of different things with imagination and power choices. It's not entirely easy but you can. If my suggestion where done, then it'd be easier especially for sets like Super Strength, Martial Arts and the like as well as greater concept control compared to just adding a Brawler set to fit in between them.

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flying surfboard pool (flight)

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You mean Flying Trademark Infringement pool?

Your other two ideas there are fine. I think Marvel pretty much has this locked down. NCSoft got away with claws/regen because it's a broader set of possibilities, used by many different characters.

Only ONE character I know of has a flying surfboard as a travel power. Pretty sure they'd have an issue with that.

Okay, there's WilyKit and WilyKat from Thundercats, but that's about it.

Technically, Static has one. I think the main way to do a flying surfboard power would be to open it up so that it is a hoverboard of different styles as opposed to just a surfboard. This would allow characters with things similar to the Goblin Glider without blatant copyright problems.

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I do not see anywhere where it says that or that the status quo is set in stone and set themes are clearly defined as being just one thing and will only ever be one thing. That's just not how the game works and new changes will move further from that with power color customization.

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I'm afraid I don't ever see the game moving away from powerset themes, because there are plenty, plenty of powersets where only theme is the meaningful difference. If you stretch beyond theme, then powersets become meaningless, and I doubt this will ever happen. A few easy examples:

Say we give Martial Arts heavier, more sturdy hits, and we give Super Strength faster, more agile attacks under the pretence that a super strong character needn't be slow or unwieldy. It's pretty easy to get to a point where the sets are visually identical apart from a power or two, and differ only in name and body glow.

Even easier - the only difference between Broadsword and Katana is animation. They are functionally as identical as two sets are going to come, but Broadsword is slow and unwieldy, whereas Katana is fast and snippy. Theoretically, you CAN make Katana animate with slower, stronger attacks, but that's not what the set is ABOUT. It's a fast, relatively light-hitting set. And you COULD make Broadsword strike faster and appear more skilful, but this isn't what Broadsword is about. It's a heavy-hitting big sword. What's more, altering the sets like this would make them almost entirely interchangeable.

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Did you actually want dual blades? I didn't vote for it, I wanted energy blade (Jedis, son!) and psionic weaponry. Too late now and we have it and it's cool so it's alright...but I really would have wanted psionic weaponry because I could make more concepts vs a person that just uses 2 weapons.
Now if they make a Brawling set, it's alright and I'm sure it be cool but it's in the same category as dual blades, IMO. A niche set that does what current sets do (i.e. swords that cut and pummeling strikes with the body). So why not endorse other similar sets like magic wand (energy projectiles), utility belt manipulation (grab bag of gadgets), flying surfboard pool (flight), etc.

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I voted for Energy Blade and Dual Blades in the poll, as we were allowed two choices. I would have been happy with either, and I was extremely pleased with Dual Blades. And Dual Blades aren't just "swords that cut" (ignoring the fact that they're the only sword set which STABS), because they're not just Broadsword, but with two weapons. They have their very own style and feel, one of speed even greater than that of Katana, and of a smooth flow of attacks, rather than the hit/pause/hit/pause of most other sets. It's not inherent in having two blades, obviously, but this is what has become the trademark of Dual Blades. Changing them to something slow and sluggish and heavy-hitting at this point is simply not an option.

And there's the added baggage that "martial arts" has a specific connotation in fiction in general. It's true that a more educated, more realistic approach to martial arts would yield styles as widely diverse as any powerset pair-up we have here, but this isn't an educated, realistic game. It's a game of iconic heroes with flashy super powers, and in this game martial arts is acrobatics, spin kicks, jump kicks and so forth. That's the powerset's theme. Animation-customizing it into another theme turns it into another powerset, no different from asking for Assault Rifle to have its animations altered so that you could use dual handguns to fire off the attacks. It's possible, perhaps even not even all that troublesome, but it would no longer be a set called Assault Rifle.

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I'll just say this: For current powersets, it can be lots of different things with imagination and power choices. It's not entirely easy but you can. If my suggestion where done, then it'd be easier especially for sets like Super Strength, Martial Arts and the like as well as greater concept control compared to just adding a Brawler set to fit in between them.

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I'm not against power animation customization. Heck, I'm decidedly FOR it. But I don't support the idea of changing a powerset into something it is not, specifically since I don't want this to be a 9-for-9 change of entire powersets, but rather a collection of possibilities that you can mix and match together. Such a collection would all have to share a single theme. I'm not against faster, more snippy animations for Super Strength, for instance, or even entering a variety of kicks into it, but it has to retain both the theme and feel of super strength in doing so. No mere Martial Arts with yellow glow (I'm really sorry, Vanden!) where you have to infer you are strong from the damage you do, but a set that still displays this super strength in the way it does things. In a sense, Super Strength is a set of strength over skill, and even if you add skill to it, it has to remain a set hinged primarily and mostly on strength.

And so it goes. More options, yes, but options in the same general theme.

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Originally Posted by Arcanaville Samuel_Tow is the only poster that makes me want to punch him in the head more often when I'm agreeing with him than when I'm disagreeing with him.

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I voted for Energy Blade and Dual Blades in the poll, as we were allowed two choices.

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Heh, well that's one person I can direct all the forum "We didn't need more sword cutty sets!" hate toward if I ever run into it again =P

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And Dual Blades aren't just "swords that cut" (ignoring the fact that they're the only sword set which STABS), because they're not just Broadsword, but with two weapons. They have their very own style and feel, one of speed even greater than that of Katana, and of a smooth flow of attacks, rather than the hit/pause/hit/pause of most other sets. It's not inherent in having two blades, obviously, but this is what has become the trademark of Dual Blades.

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The main problem I have is, the concept of the set is so narrow, I cannot make as many characters using Dual Blades as I could Katana or War Mace or Broad Sword. I mean, I've tried. I've had 3 dual bladers (a tanker, a scrapper and a stalker) but the way I create characters, their stories usually intertwine or they may actually meet in some way or form and if my dual bladers ever met it'd be like "Wow, you're sooo copying me" instead of the epic meeting of the two swordsmen. I think it's the combos...Anyway, I'm down to 1 dual blader (a stalker), changed the tanker to an axe and deleted the scrapper.

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Say we give Martial Arts heavier, more sturdy hits, and we give Super Strength faster, more agile attacks under the pretence that a super strong character needn't be slow or unwieldy. It's pretty easy to get to a point where the sets are visually identical apart from a power or two, and differ only in name and body glow.

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Funny you should say that. When I was typing up the OP I originally had the thought of a sort of 'webbed system' like other MMOs have a branch system. The thought that you could create an Eye beam energy dmg set that is available to both Energy Blast + Radiation Blast. So Super Strength and Martial Arts could access the Brawling set (or you could think about it like Brawling is linking the two concepts together). It's not about changing the theme of a current set, it's adding, expanding or generalizing that theme and making it more than just energy dmg with -def debuffs or smashing dmg with controls.

But I still think new sets is the only way to introduce some concepts (I'd want a staff set and a scythe set or you could some how mix them so you don't need a set for each individual way to use a pole weapon). That is to say I've never liked the idea of the Street Fighting/Brawling set and I'm glad it lost that poll by a distant 3rd The idea in the OP was spawned for the very reason that there will never be such a stand-alone set.

Don't forget about Kit Cloudkicker from Tailspin.

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flying surfboard pool (flight)

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You mean Flying Trademark Infringement pool?

Your other two ideas there are fine. I think Marvel pretty much has this locked down. NCSoft got away with claws/regen because it's a broader set of possibilities, used by many different characters.

Only ONE character I know of has a flying surfboard as a travel power. Pretty sure they'd have an issue with that.

Okay, there's WilyKit and WilyKat from Thundercats, but that's about it.

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