Hypothetical: Most cool looking power v. Most powerful power


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Posted

Eliot Lefebvre over at Massively posted the following in his column today:

Quote:
Originally Posted by Eliot Lefebvre
Oh, sure, you know enough about the system to know that a flat recharge increase for every single power is a huge boost in power. But in your heart of hearts, do you really want that if you've heard about the later slot that lets you shoot fire from your eyes no matter what your archetype is?
A Mild Mannered Reporter

To me (which is probably of no surprise to anyone), that's the most ridiculous thing I've ever heard. But it had me wondering. If you could have EITHER (no cheating, you can't have both) the most cool looking power in the game (however you define it) OR the most mechanically strong power in the game which would you choose?


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Posted

Quote:
Originally Posted by rian_frostdrake View Post
i have played a ma scrapper since launch, guess my answer.
You like ugly not very powerful powers?
:P


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Posted

Well, assuming "the most cool looking power" is still something moderately useful, and "most mechanically strong" isn't absolutely horrible, give me the former. I can speak from current game experience that I like to be effective, but I darn well better look good doing it! I have avoided powersets and individual where I don't like the way they look, even if they were highly effective. I also have an /Earth Dominator whom I love to spam Stone Spears with.


 

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Cool looking. Hand down.

Here's my reasoning.

"I activated the power and I just punched a guy and it did 9,500 damage. Cool."

"I activated the power and my character slammed his fist into the ground, the earth underneath him shattering in a circle, giant spikes of steel shooting up around the crater, the skies darkening and the sun turning a brilliant blue! The enemies were caught in electrified steel cages and tormented by hundreds of thousands of furious souls as my character laughed and, by just closing his fist, the cages smashed inward and crushed them all."

'Nuff said.


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Posted

Quote:
Originally Posted by blue_mourning View Post
you like ugly not very powerful powers?
Winning!


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Posted

Quote:
Originally Posted by Nalrok_AthZim View Post
"I activated the power and my character slammed his fist into the ground, the earth underneath him shattering in a circle, giant spikes of steel shooting up around the crater, the skies darkening and the sun turning a brilliant blue! The enemies were caught in electrified steel cages and tormented by hundreds of thousands of furious souls as my character laughed and, by just closing his fist, the cages smashed inward and crushed them all."

'Nuff said.
Then he punches you back!


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Posted

Cool always.

Soul Storm is the coolest power in the game (IMO) and that was what decided me on taking Ghost Widow as a patron, to give one example.

I'd have probably gone that way anyway after 'O Wretched Man', though I was sorely tempted by Mako and his Throw Fish.

Of course if a power is cool looking and powerful that's even better. Siphon Life looks great, sounds great and as a bonus it's incredibly useful.


 

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If it's cool enough I'll use it despite not being all that effective, unless it's totally useless. Handclap is just too useless. Eagle's Claw is cool enough and still useful enough that I'll use it despite having a more optimal attack chain. KO Blow is cool enough I'll use it to finish off a guy with a sliver of health. Siphon Life is cool enough I'll wait for it to recharge despite being able to use something else.

On the other hand there are powers that are just too hideous to use. I refused to take Crippling Axe Kick until we got alternate animations. I refused to take Cloak of Darkness until it got a "no fade" option. But I'll put up with ugly Hasten hands, and Shadowfall making me transparent, because they're not ugly enough to make me give up the benefits.


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<------ Videographer. Duh.

Who gives a crap if it's feasible or balanced? If it looks amazing, I wanna film it!

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Posted

That's an easy question for me. I have Nova. I have Eagle's Claw. And I use them.

Plus, "most powerful power" has limits. "Most cool looking power" has no limits. I'll take most cool looking.


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Dominators with Propel. Two of them. Not going to respec out. Ever. Take that as you will.


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I win.... Fallout is the best and coolest looking power


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I took Bile Spray on my Mastermind because it's Bile Spray. Cone attacks on Masterminds are pathetic enough to begin with, but remember what's important: it's Bile Spray.


 

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My Jester Dominator took Jump Kick and uses it because it fits so well with the Jester theme.


 

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Most cool looking.

Back in the day, when we knew nothing about incanate powers, I imagend my Mers/Traps MM geting to call in an air stike as an incarnate power. The sky would darken and a whole wing of bombers flys over head carpit bombing the area.


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Another vote for Cool looking here...

Robo's most powerfull attack is Total Focus, but I still prefer using Laser Beam Eyes everytime.

It's not a powerfull attack, but it's Laser Beams. From his eyes.

I've slotted it for it's Def Debuff, so it's not entirely cosmetic. Honest!


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Posted

Although I'm not a min/max type, I am fairly practical. I'd probably take the powerful one, assuming you mean "most powerful for my play style". Some powers that other players think are very powerful don't work too well for my play style.

Sometimes I'll sacrifice power for character concept, not for cool looking. My level 50 Inv/SS tanker never took Foot Stomp, for example. But I tend to form my character concept around the power set, so even that's pretty uncommon for me.


 

Posted

Cool > Powerful.

Particular when most powerful is only few % better.


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Posted

Quote:
Originally Posted by tanstaafl View Post
Cool > Powerful.

Particular when most powerful is only few % better.
Perhaps the cooler looking one is also only a few % cooler looking... or wait... how do you intend to measure this?

How do you make a decision based on an equation with something absolute on one side and something relative on the other?


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Too Hard ot answer.

Propel and Wormhole are 2 of my most aesthetically enjoyable powers. Propel for awesomesauce "look ma a forklift truck" and Wormhole for leveling up, going outside, finding a group and aiming for the sky...

But deary me, gravity control is so hard to stick with because its functionally inept...

Meanwhile if I look at the implementation of say... hmmm? what is the most "powerful" esque powers? lets look at FF. it gets the job done, it does what it says on the tin, it makes bubbles, and the bubbles are slightly more fun now they are tintable, but the aesthetic is a bit dull, and tends to give me a headache, and because the whole powerset is geared towards that end goal, its quite hard to stick with, its very much one flavoured.

Why can't I have both, and I think I will, I break your rules and Lightning Rod, I choose you!


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Posted

Quote:
Originally Posted by Mega_Jamie View Post
Why can't I have both, and I think I will, I break your rules and Lightning Rod, I choose you!
That's a good example. I don't like Lightning Rod, and I dropped it in a respec. Lot's of players think it's a great power, but it just doesn't work well for me.