Question: What powers do you want Alternate animations for?

So many things... I'll just grab a few that I can think of right away:

Option for all energy blast attacks to emanate from the eyes/head. Yes, like Cyclops. Marvel can't sue over a powerset, and the animations don't have to look exactly like anything from a comic book or movie. As long as I can blast stuff with my face I'm happy.

Kin Melee animations ported to Martial Arts, and vice versa, where possible and appropriate.

Martial Arts animations ported to Dark Melee, Superstrength and Energy melee, where possible and appropriate.

Heck, make some elemental kicking attacks available for Electric Melee and Fire Melee too, while you're at it.

Optional stance for Laser Eye Beam: do not enter combat ready stance, but have the character stand tall and not even turn their head, just glance in the direction of the enemy. THAT is how Superman does it. He doesn't squat down and look like he's straining to squeeze out those beams through his skull. He just looks at things and they burn. That's what I want. For the strained eye-beams, see my first suggestion for Optical Energy Blast - Cyclops looks like he has to actually work at it, so there it would be appropriate.

Two-handed alternate animations for some of Battle Axe, Warmace, Broadsword attacks. These sets would look a lot more impressive if some of the more powerful attacks were made with both hands. I'm sure people can live with a twohanded attack even if they are using shields, it doesn't seems like a far stretch for a super-being to be able to do that.

Oh yeah: Different versions of Traps and Devices. Magical (runes, wards, etc), Nature (plants, bugs), Elemental, Biological (strange DE-like blobs and slimes), Steampunk (nemesis-like).

Different themes or skins for MM pets. No need to make whole new sets when Thugs can be reskinned and used as Yakuza or Agents by putting them in suits with shades; Mercs can be reskinned as Cops or, again, Agents; Ninjas can also get a skin with suits and shades, for the more melee-oriented yakuza clan. Most importantly: give us a version of the Oni that looks like a /ninja/! If I wanted a demon I'd use Demon Summoning. And while you're at it: second and third tier Necromancy pets that look more scientific than the ones we have. Ghouls could stand in for the grave knights and some kind of abominable zombie lord from the Zombie Invasion event for the Lich.

I just feel like elaborating on the suggestions that I made so you kinda know where I'm coming from. By no means am I requesting all this exactly (as I'm just brainstorming without thinking of animation times too thoroughly)

Super Strength:
-When I say kick animations, I'm *really* looking for a 'punt' animation. I can imagine a basic mid/side kick on some of the basic stuff like Jab or Punch but what I *really* want is like a 'reel back foot...*PUNT!*' type attack for either Hurl (concrete soccer, anyone?) or in Knockout Blow.
-I guess fancy martial arts kicks could fit but, honestly, I think it's outside the scope of the 'feel' of that set...at least anything fancy like Crippling Axe Kick or Storm Kick would just be too much flash.

Martial Arts:
-Lots of people don't like Crippling Axe Kick. I do but I understand where people are coming from. So another good animation for that attack is essential for the set. The uppercut for Cobra Strike is *GREAT*...now we need something as good for CAK.
-Better punching animations, I know everyone wants and will agree. What *I* want is a couple of more acrobatic animations. An Aerial Axe Kick, a double-footed drop kick with handspring recover...more stuff like Eagle's Claw...

Sonic Blasts:
-Hmm, a lot of people want this to shoot from the hand. Can we just go with one-handed sonic shots since a lot of players are thinking of using a sonic device to create such blasts? I know I do.

Spines:
-Give yourself a reason to revisit this set! You know you want to! The secondary effects are more than a bit much, the animation times are painfully long and for a melee set, its AoE vs ST dmg is out of whack! So if you've got the freedom to adjust the set more drastically, perhaps a suggestion for a drastically different approach to the visuals of the set: Poisoned Blades.

Barrage- First of all, the option to eliminate the costume obstructing effect. Just doing that would be great! For Barrage, if you switch out the 'claw' spines for hand-held knives/swords, you can create a sort of 'One Thousand Cut's' style attack.

Lunge- Basic flick of the wrist, knife from the sleeve and stab.

Spine Burst- Lurch forward while reaching to your belt with your hands/arms crossed. Then throw a handful of knives/throwing stars at those around you as you extend your arms out. No writhing animation, just a smooth throw.

Impale- If we're keeping the baseball pitch, just add a part at the start where you reach up your sleeve or to your belt and produce a knife then throw it with a spin.

Quills- Would actually be easy. Just have the character take a stance where he keeps his hands close to his belt with an invisible aura. If anyone steps within range and you succeed your ToHit roll, a visual of a knife flinging (perhaps with a curved trajectory) hitting the target. More hits = more knives seen.

Ripper- Actually works better using knives than spines.

Fling Spines- Again, actually works better with knives.

Assassin's Impaler- Once again, actually works better with a knife stab.

Thorny Assault- Is the reason why I thought such a customization could work. If you couldn't see the thorns sprouting from the body, it'd basically be 'Blade Assault' save for the Thorn Burst animation.

Medicine Pool ... needs to have Empathy like animation options.

Leadership Pool ... request alternate animations for Maneuvers, Assault and Tactics.

Mastermind Pet Dismissal ... for some reason, Pet Dismissal has uniformly reverted to a "Pet Dies" animation rather than a "Pet Departs" animation. Please restore to previous "Pet Departs" animations.

Leaping Pool ... JUMP KICK.

Speed Pool ... Hasten. Be nice to see Synapse styled image echoes when moving while under Hasten instead of flaming hands.

Peacebringer and Warshade resistance toggle powers could use alternate animations. Look to Orbiting Death and its orbiting fluffies for inspiration. Also consider a variation of Aura: Sparkles: Body Heavy in which the particles swirl around the character, rather than just blink in place.

Warshade: Gravimetric Snare ... use Recall Friend animation as an alternate, perhaps with a Siphon Speed styled "drain beam" instead of a hurled fuzz ball to implement the effect?

Warshade: Inky Aspect ... create an alternate animation more along the lines of Orbiting Death, rather than the Red Fuzzy.

Devices powerset could do with some refurbishing of some of its power effects so as to differentiate them from every other power in the game that looks almost exactly the same (because they stole their animations from Devices!).

Granite Armor ... something aside from a recycled DE mob!

It's the end. But the moment has been prepared for ...

Some pool powers:

Leaping: Jump Kick. Can this be made to look more like Guile's back-flipping kick in the old Street Fighter games?

Fighting: Kick. Can we get something more like a side-ways kick that someone might actually use in a fight? The front-kick we have now looks like what someone who hasn't actually taken Fighting should be stuck with as an alternate Brawl attack. Those who take the Fighting pool should look more competent, since they have supposedly trained some kind of fighting style.

I'd like to see maybe some new animations for Energy Manipulation. Switch out Total Focus's animation for Eagles Claw or something along those lines.

Maybe a "Hadoken" styled animation for some blaster attacks.

Please!

I'll just add my vote for non-sword animations for the ice and fire sword attacks.

Forcefields
- Deflection Shield: The ability to cast it left handed
- Insulation Shield: The ability to cast it left handed
(Because 14 right hand casts in a row gets a little dull.)

Medicine Pool
- Aid Other: The animation from Empathy/Heal Other
- Aid Self: The animation from Regen/Reconstruction
- Stimulant: The animation from Empathy/Clear Mind
- Resuscitate: The animation from Poison/Elixir of Life (though without the bubbles)

Electric Blasts
- The ability to use the Mu arcing lightning across the entire set

Brawl
- The ability to choose if I want to kick, even if my hands are free

Prestige Sprints
- Fold into Sprint as alternate animations

I would appreciate alternate animations for the "Weapon" sets. You can easily make two Fire Blasters obviously different just via coloring. One character with green fire one with black. They look, and for some, feel vastly different.

But all of the weapon sets are denied that, there's nothing to color. I very much believe that these sets deserve alternate animations as a higher priority over the rest.

Two Broadsword wielders look identical, two archery wielders look identical. And so on. The actual list would be...

Katana/Ninja Blade
Axe
Mace
Claws
Broadsword
Dual Blades
Dual Pistols
Assault Rifle


These sets are defined less by their colors and more the weapon shape and style. You've already given us the shape, which I love. I believe adding the ability to change weapon styles is the next logical step.

Katana could use a more realistic katana style. Or a more fantastic one, perhaps a style like Kenshin, where the strikes are near instant. Beginning and ending sheathed.

Broadsword could use a faster or slower style. A "Big sword" (and maybe some swords to go with it) style with more weight and heft to it. Or a "Fast Sword" style to match the skinny swords.

Dual Pistols/Blades could use some less fantastic options. As much as I love them, they're a bit... spiny. Some simpler animations would be good, if only for the more exotic attacks.

Mace and Axe desperately need something to make them different from one another visually

Archery and Assault Rifle are a bit harder to deal with. But you gave "Holding two pistols" it's own unique feel. I'm sure there's something you can do to spice up these sets(I'd still put them lower on the list, if only for "What do we do with them?" reasons)

Claws... well... personally, I'd like to see a "natural" set of animations. Open handed claw attacks and maybe some claw models to match. But I leave that up to the art team to decide if that's feasible without looking dumb. Might just need a "Bestial Melee" set *shrug*

So... that's my suggestion.

I'm sure this has probably been said already, but I'll say it again. And I'm sure that'll be the result of this thread anyway, but... All powers should get alternate animations eventually. Everything from Brawl and Rest down to even more alternate animations for Super Strength and Martial Arts.

Of course, there's gotta be a place to start, so here's my suggestions on what to begin with:

First, pool powers should get added for customization. I'd kill to change my Warshade's Hasten to be purple and black, ditto for giving my Magic Scrapper a wand or something instead of the Tricorder in Aid Self.

Second, alternate weapon-based animations for the blast sets would be awesome. You could have different types of weapons for people. Like a magic wand that could be waved around for magic-based blasters. Or an ice blaster who uses a cold ray instead of throwing snowballs. Or turn Radiation Blast into a laser gun with a simple addition of a pistol-based alternate animations.

Third, alternate animations for the weapon sets. What seems like an extremely easy thing to do would be to let people chose what hand they use for the weapon. I'd love to make a left-handed Broadsword/Shield scrapper. But beyond even that, more animations from the weapons sets would be awesome. Two-handed attacks for the Broadsword, Axe, and War Mace would rule. So would stabbing attacks for the Broadsword. Instead of jumping and spinning for the "Whirling" attacks for the medieval weapon sets, they spin the weapon over their heads. And less flashy, over the top animations for Dual Pistols (I'd kill for something closer to what the Malta Gunslingers do). Perhaps Crossbows for the Archery powersets.

Alternate animations for the rest of the attack sets could be done too. Martial arts styled Energy Melee for characters playing Mystic Monk types. Fire melee attacks that all use fire-weapons. The same for Ice and Stone and Electric melee.

And then there's virtually limitless possibilities for the various buff, debuff, and armor sets. Have characters whip out a wand and wiggle it to create force fields. Or have characters fire a buff dart out of their dart gun. Or a guy makes a magical glyph in the area (like in demon summoning) to activate his fire armor. There's so many possibilities there.

1) Provide animations similar to the Gun-Fu for Dual Pistols to Thugs users. (The animation times are different, so they'd have to be similar but not exactly the same)

2) Provide animations similar to the Thugs users for Dual Pistols. (Again, within the limits of the animation times) Not quite as flashy, standard dual pistol gunfire. Perhaps with something like the Enforcer's Blast Clip in place of Bullet Rain.

3) I second the suggestion for alternate weapon types. An Ice Spear replacement for Ice Sword, for instance. And something I've wanted to see since release: Shadow Maul summoning an actual Maul!

4) Hurl summing different objects, like Propel.

5) Gravity control options that look more Magnetic. Including Propel summoning objects specific to Magentism, i.e., all metallic.

6) Either make Targetting Drone use the Tactics animation (yellow "crosshairs") or whatever Focused Accuracy uses. If it could actually give you the one eye "laser beam" aura from the costume aura options, that would be even better, but I'd like to use it in combination with those options.

7) Give all Stealth options, including Cloaking Device and Superior Invisibility, a "50% transparent" option. Instead of totally transparent. I'd also like to see a "shadowy" form, in which your figure just becomes dark instead of transparent. (Another option would be a "hide in plain sight" that turns you into some other costume, but I have a character that already uses costume options for that. 50% visibility in combination with the costume change would represent that fine)

(At the time I wrote this, I had not seen the "Shadowy Presence" power. That is EXACTLY what I'm talking about with the shadowy form above)

8) Group Invisibility turning everyone into a neutral looking character, or a copy of the caster would be cool.

9) An Eviscerate animation that looks more like Total Focus.

10) An Eviscerate animation that looks more like the old Swipe. ("I'm gonna shred you to pieces!")

11) Energy and Dark animations that use the feet, i.e. martial arts attacks that surround the foot in energy/darkness. Shadow Maul can use the old Storm Kick animation. (Chun-Li style multiple kicks to face)

12) Kinetics options in which you pull out gizmos to create the effects.

I wasn't really sure if you intended to open up the Power Pools to this discussion, but I will go ahead and add some of my ideas there anyway.

1) As previously mentioned, Medicine choices that don't involve pulling out a "tricorder". Drawing a sigil as if casting a spell would be a good alternative, or just the standard Empathy animations.

2) A Cobra Strike-like option for Boxing, a Thunder Kick-like Kick, and the old Storm Kick for Flurry. Plus a Jump Kick that looks something like Eagle's Claw, a leaping kick to the face. (Just shorter) This would go a long way towards making martial arts style Blasters and other non-meleers.

3) Haymaker's alternate animation for Air Superiority.

4) Something for Tough that is not quite so over the top. Shall we say... more feminine?

5) Same for Taunt, not just Challenge and Provoke, but Confront and Taunt in the melee sets, too. Actually, being able to choose from a number of emotes like overhere, buzzoff, getsome, knuckles, point, slash, or even howl and roar would be nice.

6) Electrical/Dark options for Teleport.

7) A Hasten option that does NOT set me on fire. In fact, I've always said the animations for the Super Speed pool should be a "blurring" effect, if that's possible. Sort of the way Flurry blurs the hand movements.

8) This isn't a Pool Power, but yeah, can we have alternate animations for Sands of Mu? Again, I'm looking at Storm Kick's old animation. If nothing else, I'd like to replace it, so Shadow Maul will be once again unique. I realize this breaks the rule of "we try to never change existing animations because more people complain about the change than complained about the old one", but honestly, it's a Vet Power that pretty much everyone gets. It should appear somewhat generic. And as a Natural/Technology origin for the Power it would be a better contrast to the Ghost Slaying Axe, much like the Nemesis Staff and Blackwand.

NDA is lifted, right?

>.>

Could we have an alternate animation for Conductive Aura? The wave animation doesn't really scream electricity to me. I'd just like the choice to pick something like the Lightning Field animation instead.

Oh, thought of another one:

Rest
- /em lotus (hovering)
- /em kneel

I want the one handed rock chuck for hurl with shields to be a part of the animation choices.

That is call, carry on.

The first thing that inexplicably popped into my head is how much I would love to see animations ported from Kinetic Melee (speed adjusted as needed and punchy parts trimmed where called for) to several Support or Control sets that have a focusing/casting feel to their current animations. Dark Miasma especially for entirely selfish reasons.

Interchangeable Shadow Fall, Steamy Mist, World of Confusion, etc.

Soul Storm animation for Howling Twilight.

Non-spherical Force Fields.

I think it would be a great if all Tier 1 attacks had a selection of animations to cycle through like Pistols has, but then I'd also want the option to pick one and stick with it if I like it more than all the other randoms.

Probably too wishlisty for the thread's purpose, but I'd most like to see all existing animations for a given attack type (ranged, PBAoE, melee, etc.) pooled, with trimmed/time-adjusted variants of each necessary length. So I could toss my Neutrino Bolt off with Energy Torrent's sweeping gesture, use a fast Combustion animation for my Irradiate, throw a radioactive Fireball as my Neutron Bomb, Invoke Panic roar as I Atomic Blast, etc.

I'd like to see a non-hip-swinging female walk and the option to use the old, stone-onna-stick blackwand.

Also, nth-ing the request for an alternate medicine pool.

Also also, a version of electric blast which uses a single, large bolt of lightning.

Also3, alternate fire imps. Perhaps replace them with orbiting fireballs?

The Medicine pool is a popular nominee for alternate animations. If you're wanting specifics, how about some elemental themes? If an Ice/Ice tanker picks up Medicine, giving it icy FX to make it more of an extension of his powers would be neat.

Shadow Maul.. This horrible animation stops me from playing the set. I cannot stand looking at it.

Jump Kick.. I never use it and I dont want to see anyone else use it ever again.

I cant even SEE what Heat Exhaustion does.

Claws Eviscerate: I would like a slowed down version of Sweeping Strikes animation for this power.

Stone Melee:

Hurl boulder: Stone melee is all about the manipulation of the earth element, then why must the range power look more like a super strength power. Have the animation be more like the propel animation where the chunk gets ripped out of the ground because you will it not because you have such great strength or as an alternative stomp the ground with your foot and have a bounder shoot up then punch it towards the enemy for those people that like that sort of thing or in keeping with the hammer theme throw a hammer at the enemies.

Tremor: Give me an alternative to jumping, my character is not the jumping type please don’t make him. Do you want him to go into therapy? I didn’t think so.


Various sets:

Blazing aura: Why only a pulsing ring. Alternate suggestions: A couple of small fireballs that orbit the character and not just around the feet. Make truly an aura maybe one that makes a heat distortion (rippling air) effect emanate outward from you a certain distance.


Fire Melee:

Fire breath: I like this power on some toons not on all, make an alternative where you blast the cone out of your hands or maybe make it a sweeping kick that shoots forth a fiery arc.


Super reflexes:

Practiced Brawler: Why does this need the pull the arm back animation? Make it so that it does no animation at all.


Gravity Control:

All holds and immobilisations in the set: Make them visible! Most of the time you can barely see who is and who isn’t held/immobilised.


Plant control:

Fly Trap: PLEASE, make a better looking pet. It’s horrible, its so bad that its keeping me from playing the set.


Spines:

Barb Swipe: The only thing I can say about the current animation: No, just no.


Ice Armor:

All the shields: Make them look less martini on the rocks and more frosty sheen or some light effects like hoarfrost.


Electric Blast:

All blasting powers in the set: It looks like all the electricity is being funnelled trough a beam of some sort. Electricity needs to arc and swirl around itself loosely following a direct path.


Widow Training:

Poison Dart and Dart burst: Make my widow not look like she has to take a dump every time this power activates. Thank you.


Well that the list off the stuff i would most like changed, altough more options are always good for any power these irk me the most.

I really don't want to see kicks for Dark Melee and other sets that can be more creatively animated. Kicking Cremate? Kicking Midnight Grasp? Kicking Shadow Maul? Leave the dichotomy of kicks and punches to sets that can't draw on better inspiration because they are limited to physical martial movements.

For example:

• I'd love for Shadow Maul to involve opening a rift to the netherworld in my character's chest, and black tendrils of negative energy lashing out at my foes.
• Greater Ice Sword could involve manifesting a massive icicle on your knee and driving it up into and through your opponent.
• Fire Sword could rake an opponent with a giant dragon-like claw of flame covering your hand.

Estimated cost marks

• [R+] Re-uses existing animation
• [R] Existing animation, time adjustments
• [N] New animation, or old animation chopped up.
• [N-] New animation, no suggestion!

• Build Up and Aim: One new animation that a great many powersets can use. I like the one we have, so I haven't got any ideas for alternatives. MoG? [R+]
• Stalker | Assassination powers (no weapons): Proliferate the horse stance, the one from Claws/Spines, and particularly for me, Fist of Annihilation.[R+]
• Confront (no weapons): Touch of Fear? [R]

• Archery/Trick Arrow: Replace some of the 'point the arrow at the target and wait' with the arrow-draw animation. (O'course, a couple of those went away with I18...)[N]

• Ice Melee | Ice Sword: Hmm. Says Clobber/Hack would fit. I always thought Ice Sword lacked oomph. [R+]
  
• Battle Axe | Swoop / War Mace | Jawbreaker: After Disembowel, not having particle effects on these is jarring. [R]
• Dark Armor | Dark Regeneration: No idea what. Power Sink? Reconstruction? [R]
• Stone Melee / Earth Assault | Hurl Boulder: Not that Hurl Boulder by itself isn't awesome, but, well, Legacy Chain! Propel (Boulder), please! [R]
• Ninjitsu | Kuji-in Sha: You struggle to hold the basic pose for a bit, then green numbers happen. No oomph.
  Easy answer: Reconstruction . Not thematic, though. [R]
• Radiation Blast | Cosmic Burst: Snipe animation! [R]
  Or, new particle sfx where the lime cream puff of doom is built (Kin. Melee) before you throw it. [N]
• Energy (Melee/Manipulation) | Stun: Be it Touch of Fear or Cosmic Burst, I could see someone wanting a Stunned by the Hand.[R]
• Sonic Attack | Siren's Song: Fearsome Stare. [R]
• Devices | Gun Drone: Both set mine and summon robot.[/color] [R]
  
• Energy Blast | Power Bolt: New sound. Hasn't lined up since new Defiance. (Yes, as written, power customisation doesn't do sounds.) [N]
• Devices | Smoke Grenade: A throw-grenade animation that doesn't move back and forth as far as that. [N]
• Spines | Ripper / Claws | Eviscerate As standard, but flip forward.[N]
• Claws | I forget, it's the one that looks like Boxing.: Always thought that using Boxing's animation with claws wasn't taking enough advantage of the pointy things on the end of your fist. [N-]
• Empathy | Resurrect: Even presuming the rooting's been fixed, I reckon people would want alternatives. [N-]
• Dual Blades | Typhoon's Edge: As per Dual Wield, I just can't buy it. [N-]
• Devices | Trip Mine: Similarly, it always seemed a bit ostentatious. (I'm no bomb tech, though.) [N-]
• Dual Pistols | Dual Wield: bugs me most, followed by the Flurry-like bits in Bullet Rain and Hail of Bullets - but you'll probably find, for each power in the set, someone who doesn't like it. [N-]