What's the attraction to these new powerset gimmicks?

Not necessarily (outside the perception that there are already balance nightmares in the setup as is).

It would be no different that the Dev team implementing the Incarnate system or the Inventions system to the game.

Many of the sets are setup similarly (as others have pointed out) and systems can be applied in small groupings accordingly (ie. small 3 step combos that create bonus or effect for lower tier powers). Stances that modify any set's offensive/defensive modifiers (as opposed to just one set that allows something that an entire AT should be privy to).

I don't see the balance nightmare unless you're coding in for some grandiose effects that are beyond the scope of what I've suggested.


I'm to the point that I'm preferring retrofits to older sets with the new mechanics without having to go in and reconstruct each individually.

An active Inherent; if you will.

Well, those were balance nightmares and potential disasters as well- note the tremendous amount of resources dedicated to both.

Let me rephrase- I think the amount of energy necessary to make the idea work well would massively outweigh a relatively minor payoff.

Currently, people who like the systems can play the sets that use those systems, people who don't can skip them.

If you could just wave a magic wand and *poof* have a power overlay that let you choose from a range of possible options, from plain vanilla to combo master with a few stops in between, I'd say sure, sounds great!

But absent a magic wand, that's a gigantic undertaking & resource sink.
Quite an undertaking to fix something that isn't really a problem.


Maybe not, maybe it isn't much more complex than powerset proliferation and they'll get to it one of these days. That would surprise me, though.

Well.....
And there you go! It's something new. That's it. Not everyone is going to like every set. This was equally true of the earlier 'non gimmick' powersets.

I read up on Dual Blades. It did not appeal to me. I do not play it.
I read up on Beam Rifle. Sounded good so I made one. I'm happy with it.
I read up on Street Justice. Sounded good so I made one. I'm happy with this one, too.
Water Blast sounds like it might be interesting. I haven't really looked at it carefully yet since I already have too many active toons. Once one of them hits 50......

Just having a bit of sport at your expense, Ukase, thanks for taking it in the spirit in which I meant it. We all have our moments.