Rocket Boards?

Seeing this thread I just want to say this about any 'new flight aspect' that City of Heroes may put in...

Please try to stay away from the 'stand on object X' to fly. Yes, this idea is good for ONE type of flight that way. Like the 'Rocket Board' of the original post here. But to have a half dozen copy-cat powers where the toon jumps on substance X and flys off... that's been DONE to death in the <C>reative <O>pponent to CoH out there. In Ice, Earth, metal discs, etc.

Now, what I -would- like to see, for Flight, is the ability to choose my over all flight effect. The current one has the standard 'look ma, no wires!' / 'You will believe a man can fly' effect. That's nice.

I know we are getting path auras (with the Clunker Aura from steampunk pack being the first)... why not non-pathing travel auras - flame, water, bugs, ghosts lifting me aloft, ghostly wings.

For that matter, why not travel-only costume pieces, like wings that unfurl from a folded position on my back, packs with wings that swing/fold/transform out when I take off, mystic sigils when I teleport, my body turning to a lightning bolt while I am running at super speed.

People should be able to buy various backpacks, beltpacks, and the like that do 'something special' when they turn on their travel power. And some of these things should only be available if you are a partcular origin. So the magic character buys a cloak of flight. On the ground it's a cape, but activate flight, and the cape becomes glowing nimbus (in the character's selected colors of course) set of wings or the like. If he teleports, the cape wraps around him, glows and then he's gone. If he superspeeds it sparkles and leaves a trail of magic sparks. Super Jump and it billows like it's catching the wind.

(It doesn't have to be locked to magic origin... that's just an example)

Tech packs and belts and all sorts of things could be worked this way. Yes, it's a lot of animation. Yes, it's a lot of work. Perhaps even difficult with the current engine. These are just ideas... my point is whatever CoH does, don't feel limited by what's in comics or what some other game is doing. And whatever you do, make it as customizabile as possible, and make it work with whatever travel power a person uses. The piston boots, winged boots and rocket boots from the recipie drops are examples.

The upcoming store means that almost anything is possible. Play. Be Free. That's what Freedom means to me!

I'd love to fly on top of a Swarm of Bees and giant Playing Cards (Face cards and the Ace).

If the rocket board tech could be made to work the Lotus emote/position I'd be thrilled to see a Cloud and a Fly Carpet.

I hold out hope that someday we get helicopter packs. My gadgeteers would love those!

I feel the new market interface should be reworked to include a rocketboard category.

Something like this

since we're gettin a useless power that greys out others might i request a Mary Poppins Umbrella. And a Chinese dragon...and a giant sword...and a log(DBZ)...and a Hellion mezzed to think hes a plank. Make that a "Dammed" so he's flamming.

An option to use existing auras only around the leg and/or feet, similar to how most auras can currently be restricted to the hands, would be fantastic!